There is perhaps no greater compendium of his artistic worldview than the eerie and deeply spiritual sci-fi masterpiece that might have slain him. Released in the USSR in 1979, Stalker would go on to premiere at Cannes in May of 1980, 45 years ago. A mystifying area known as the “Zone” — which some believe might have extra-terrestrial origins — is cordoned off by the Soviet military. Mosfilm/Kobal/ShutterstockThe exact causes of these fatalities are hard to corroborate, but they’ve since become part and parcel of the movie’s legend. However, this pursuit of greater truth at the cost of his well-being bears a certain irony, given how Stalker plays out.