His teacher and mentor at the film school, Mikhail Romm, allowed his students considerable freedom and emphasized the independence of the film director.
hɪz tˈiːtʃɚ ænd mˈɛntoːɹ æt ðə fˈɪlm skˈuːl, mˈɪkaɪl ɹˈɑːm, ɐlˈaʊd hɪz stˈuːdənts kənsˈɪdɚɹəbəl fɹˈiːdəm ænd ˈɛmfɐsˌaɪzd ðɪ ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndəns ʌvðə fˈɪlm dᵻɹˈɛktɚ.