▁and ▁started ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁director ▁at ▁the ▁Len film ▁studio . ▁Only ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁he ▁directed ▁his ▁first ▁movie ▁The ▁Son ▁of ▁I rist on . ▁Iron ically , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁bi ographical ▁film ▁about ▁K osta ▁K het ag uro v , ▁the ▁national ▁poet ▁of ▁the ▁Os set ian ▁people , ▁thus ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁North ▁Os set ia ▁for ▁several ▁months ▁without ▁even ▁real ising ▁that ▁his ▁bel oved ▁and ▁their ▁daughter ▁were ▁also ▁living ▁there . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁he ▁directed ▁his ▁most ▁successful ▁movie ▁— ▁Am ph ib ian ▁Man ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁science ▁fiction ▁novel ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁by ▁Alexander ▁B ely ae v . ▁With ▁ 6 5 . 5 ▁million ▁view ers ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁Soviet ▁box ▁office ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁most ▁popular ▁Soviet ▁movie ▁ever ▁released . ▁According ▁to ▁Che bot ary ov , ▁this ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁to ▁be ▁shot ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Sea , ▁in ▁Crime a . ▁He ▁even ▁contact ed ▁Jacques ▁Cou ste au ▁who ▁agreed ▁to ▁help , ▁but ▁the ▁studio ▁refused ▁to ▁give ▁foreign ▁currency ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁what ▁they ▁considered ▁a ▁k ids ▁movie . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ty ▁of ▁the ▁production ▁required ▁a ▁lot ▁from ▁both ▁film m akers ▁and ▁actors . ▁Vladimir ▁and ▁the ▁cinemat ograph er ▁Edu ard ▁Ro z ov sky ▁spent ▁a ▁year ▁sc