Alexey Yakovlevich Kapler. The charm of this bright, kind and courageous man is remembered by many - for several years he entered every home as the host of Kinopanorama. And his whole life has been connected for decades with the history of Soviet cinema. In his memoirs, we see the first fervent years of the formation of young Soviet cinema, when he himself entered it along with his equally young creators - Eisenstein, Kozintsev, Yutkevich. A line of Odessa residents, the heroes of his youth, pass by. Picturesque episodes of the country's life are intertwined with the story of an eyewitness to the historical filming of the Battleship Potemkin.

Other sections of the country's history appear in the scorching documents of the era - his military essays, camp stories - prose that was written "on the table" for years. The modest author writes least about himself, but the fate of the country is illuminated by the light of his personality.

Preface, compilation and preparation of the text by Yu. V. Drunina