Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (April 4, 1932 – December 29, 1986) was a Soviet filmmaker, writer, film editor, film theorist and opera director, widely regarded as one of the finest filmmakers of the 20th century. Tarkovsky's films include Andrei Rublev, Solaris, Mirror and Stalker. They are characterized by spirituality and metaphysical themes, long takes, lack of conventional dramatic structure and plot, and distinctively authored use of cinematography.