Georgian directors: from the birth of national cinema to the present

2025 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-24 17:46

Georgian cinema of the 20th century amazed the whole world with its original language, originality. Georgian directors have always been demonstratively artistic, creatively colorful. Each director has his own unique creative style, their work is not stencilled, it is a piece product. Behind every feature film is an autobiographical essay, the fate of the creator. More than one generation of filmmakers has been learning from the works of Sergei Parajanov, Tengiz Abuladze, Otar Ioseliani. Georgian cinema in the USSR was rightfully considered elitist and refined.

Masters of the birth of the genre

The 20s of the last century are considered to be the origin of Georgian cinematography. Before the revolution, officially approved documentary chronicles and extras for pseudo-historical films, for example, "Conquest of the Caucasus", were filmed in the country, which had nothing to do with national history or culture.

From 1928 and over the next four years, a galaxy of young filmmakers creates films that are original in style and form: “My Grandmother” by K. Mikaberidze, “Eliso” by N. Shengelaya, Khabarda by M. Chiaureli and S alt of Svaneti by M. Kalatozishvili. Under conditions of the most severe censorship, many projects of Georgian directors are not released for hire, among them is M. Kalatozishvili's film "A Nail in a Boot". After 27 years, the director will direct the film "The Cranes Are Flying", which will be awarded the main prize of the Cannes Film Festival.

Directors of the 30s-40s

Trends in the development of Georgian cinema in the 1930s and 1940s were predetermined by Soviet ideology; all projects strictly corresponded to the spirit of socialist realism. Many paintings were openly propagandistic in nature, for example, the works of M. Chiaureli "The Great Glow", "The Unforgettable Year 1919", "Arsen", "The Fall of Berlin", "The Oath".

In parallel with serious film production, Georgian directors shot comedy films, among the bright examples of "Zhuzhuna's Dowry" by S. Palavandishvili and D. Kikabidze, "Paradise Lost" by D. Rondeli, "Keto and Kote" by V. Tabliashvili and Sh. Gedevanishvili.

During the bloody Great Patriotic War, the release of paintings, of course, declined. An exception may be the film "Georgy Saakadze" by the Georgian Soviet director Mikhail Chiaureli, commissioned by Stalin himself.

Creators of the film industry renaissance

The 50s of the last century were marked by the revival of Georgian cinema, the emergence of a new generation of directors. On the basis of Goskinoprom, a national film studio "Georgia-Film" is being created, where outstanding Georgian directors worked. milestoneThe masterpiece of this time is the work of R. Chkheidze and T. Abuladze "Lurgea Magdana". The picture was the first in a long time to receive recognition at a major western film festival in Cannes. In this film, as in the subsequent project of Abuladze, the influence of Italian neorealism is felt.

The heroic drama "Soldier's Father", directed by Rezo Chkheidze, has no less artistic value.

Producers of the 60-70s

In the 60s and 70s, the list of Georgian directors was replenished with a new wave of talented filmmakers. This is the period of activity of the outstanding directors of the Shengelaya brothers, M. Kokochashvili and O. Ioseliani. The works of Georgian filmmakers of that time favorably differed from the rest of the Soviet film production. They tried to avoid open propaganda, while trying to address the social and moral issues relevant to that era. The allegorical form has taken root in the national film industry of Georgia. According to local film experts, the films Falling Leaves by O. Ioseliani, The White Caravan by E. Shengelaya and T. Meliava, Alaverdoba by G. Shengelaya, and Big Green Valley by M. Kokochashvili contained hidden criticism of current social problems.

In the 60s, film director M. Kobakhidze, literally rethinking silent cinema, determined the basis for the production of famous Georgian short films. His followers in the 70s released a whole series of unsurpassed comedy films, including "Record" by G. Pataray, "Feola" by B. Tsuladze, "Jug" by I. Kvirikadze.

Hugely popular withThe audience enjoyed the multi-part feature film by the creative duo Giga Lordkipanidze and Gizo Gabeskiria "Data Tutashkhia".

Authors of timeless classics

Tapes "Tree of Desire", "I, grandmother, Iliko and Illarion" Tengiz Abuladze, "Don't Cry!" Georgiy Danelia, "There Lived a Song Thrush" by Otar Ioseliani amaze with the beauty of the pictorial series. This is truly a contemplative movie. But films are beautiful not only visually, the direction of great directors is simply mesmerizing.

During this period, the legendary film of the Soviet, Georgian and Russian director Georgy Danelia "Mimino" is released. The tragicomedy, the genre of which is often defined by domestic critics as a half-tale, was filmed according to the script by Rezo Gabriadze and Victoria Tokareva. Like "Kin-dza-dza!" the picture has long been and carefully taken apart by the people for quotes, which is an indicative measure of the success of any film. Many filmmakers of our time position Danelia's work as a hallmark of Soviet Georgia for all time, not only cinematically, but also musically.

Masters of the 80-90s

Many film works by famous Georgian directors, created at the turn of the 80-90s. regarded as an artistic prelude to the inevitable collapse of the communist system, such as Eldar Shengelaya's Blue Mountains and Tengiz Abuladze's Repentance.

The Blue Mountains, or The Implausible Story, released in 1983, is a blatant satire on the bureaucracy in most Soviet organizations. And in"Repentance" (1984) reminds the audience of the main spiritual landmarks.

The work of Sergei Parajanov and Dodo Abashidze "The Legend of the Surami Fortress" deserves attention.

The current generation

If until the 90s Georgian cinema developed in accordance with the general atmosphere that reigned in the vast expanses of the USSR, after its collapse it became part of the global film industry. A constellation of young talented directors, brought up on an unparalleled cinematic background, ensure the integration of national cinema into the global film production system.

Gela Babluani's work "13" is considered a very interesting picture, although the film was shot not in Georgia, but in the USA and France. Critics call the project a non-Georgian film made by a Georgian director. Of the paintings created directly in Georgia, the film "Season" by David Borchkhadze stands out.