Birth name
Larisa Yefimovna Shepitko is the full Russian patronymic form in LOC (Shepitʹko, Larisa, 1938–1979) (LOC). Shepitko is her family name; she did not adopt a Western stage surname. She studied under Alexander Dovzhenko at VGIK and married director Elem Klimov.
The Ascent and unfinished Farewell
Shepitko directed Heat, Wings, You and Me, and the WWII masterpiece The Ascent (1977), which won the Golden Bear at Berlin. She died in a car accident while scouting locations for Farewell, later completed by Klimov (LOC; Encyclopedia.com). Memorials treat her as a major Soviet auteur whose career was cut short.
This memorial page avoids graphic accident detail.
The Ascent Blu-ray/DVD (Criterion) Wings / Shepitko collections books on Soviet women directors
Why the "real name" question matters
Search interest in a celebrity's "real name" usually means a shortened everyday form, a middle name used as a handle, or a true stage/legal change. This page states which case applies and cites sources rather than gossip.
Readers comparing credits across IMDb, Wikipedia, and national filmographies sometimes find spelling variants (accents, hyphenation, maternal surnames). Where two reliable sources disagree on a middle name or exact birthplace wording, this draft notes both rather than inventing a single form.
Readers comparing credits across IMDb, Wikipedia, and national filmographies sometimes find spelling variants (accents, hyphenation, maternal surnames). Where two reliable sources disagree on a middle name or exact birthplace wording, this draft notes both rather than inventing a single form.
