Sidney Lumet — director (12 angry men) with roots in the Russian Empire
Sidney Lumet was an American film director who became one of the most prolific and respected filmmakers in Hollywood history. 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Serpico, The Verdict, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead — Lumet's 50-year career produced some of American cinema's most morally urgent films.
Tracing the roots — Warsaw
His father Baruch Lumet was a Yiddish theatre actor born in Warsaw (Russian Empire, now Poland) who brought his family to New York. Sidney grew up in the Yiddish theatre world of the Lower East Side, performing from age four. The moral seriousness, the focus on justice and institutional corruption, and the New York working-class authenticity of his films carry his Yiddish theatre heritage.
A career defined by ambition
"The moment you stop learning, you start dying."