▁off ▁a ▁mal function ing ▁cart ; ▁inj uring ▁his ▁sp ine , ▁cr ushing ▁two ▁dis ks , ▁and ▁jam ming ▁sp inal ▁n erves . ▁After ▁a ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁treatment , ▁despite ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁his ▁phys ician , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁work . ▁Though ▁the ▁Soviet ▁government ▁had ▁class ified ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁group ▁of ▁individuals ▁with ▁dis abilities , ▁those ▁persons ▁who ▁had ▁lost ▁some ▁capacity ▁but ▁were ▁still ▁capable ▁of ▁working , ▁generally ▁part - time ; ▁he ▁quit ▁performing ▁on ▁the ▁stage ▁and ▁instead ▁became ▁a ▁film ▁director . ▁ ▁His ▁debut ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁film , ▁The ▁Gy ps y , ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁An atol y ▁Kal in in ' s ▁novel . ▁He ▁also ▁star red ▁as ▁Bud ul ay , ▁acting ▁alongside ▁Ly ud m ila ▁Kh ity ae va ▁in ▁that ▁film . ▁Mat ve ye v ' s ▁first ▁picture ▁was ▁gre et ed ▁with ▁differ ing ▁opinions ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ; ▁though ▁a ▁survey ▁by ▁the ▁magazine ▁Soviet ▁Screen ▁named ▁him ▁one ▁the ▁best ▁actors ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁critical ▁remarks . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁on ward , ▁Mat ve ye v ▁completely ▁left ▁theatre ▁and ▁continued ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁industry , ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁and ▁an ▁actor . ▁ ▁He ▁directed ▁a ▁historic - re volution ary ▁film , ▁Rom ance ▁by ▁Mail , ▁and ▁a