Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (23 January 1898 — 11 February 1948) was a pioneering Soviet film director and film theorist, often considered to be the 'Father of Montage'. Noted in particular for his silent films Strike (1924), Battleship Potemkin (1925) and October (1927), as well as the historical epics Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Ivan the Terrible (1944, 1958), his work profoundly influenced early filmmakers owing to his innovative use of and writings about montage.