Ioseliani Otar

Ioseliani Otar, (February 2, 1934, Tbilisi – December 17, 2023, Tbilisi), film director, screenwriter, actor. Honored Art Worker of Georgia (1979). People's Artist of Georgia (1984), Laureate of the Shota Rustaveli State Prize (1998).

In 1952, he graduated from the Tbilisi Musical College. From 1953 to 1955, he studied at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University. In 1965, he graduated from the Production Faculty of the Moscow All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (the workshop of A. Dovzhenko and M. Chiaureli). He worked at the "Kartuli Pilmi" (Georgian Film) film studio as an editor (1956–1959), as a director of documentary films (1959–1961), and from 1961, he was a director and screenwriter for the studio.

In Ioseliani's very first documentary miniature, "Sapovnela" (Song About a Flower) (1959), was poetically voiced the theme of the conflict between nature and civilization. In the cinematic novella "Aprilshi" (In April) (1961), Ioseliani touched upon the problem of true and illusory values; in his full-length feature films "Giorgobistve" (Falling Leaves) [1966, Georges Sadoul Prize, FIPRESCI Prize – Cannes International Film Festival (IFF), 1968], "Iko  Shashvi Mgalobeli" (Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird) (1970, Prize for the Best Foreign Film of the Year – Italy, 1972), and "Pastorali" (Pastoral) (1976, FIPRESCI Prize – Berlin IFF, 1982), the characteristics of his cinematic poetics became evident – the synthesis of documentarily depicted reality and conventionality, a novella-like structure, and the selection of actors based on the principle of typage.

From the beginning of the 1980s, Ioseliani lived and worked in France, where he shot the films: "Euskadi-1982" (doc., 1983), "Mtvaris Pavoritebi" (Favorites of the Moon) (1984, Grand Special Jury Prize, OCIC Prize – Venice IFF; CICAE Prize – Berlin IFF, all – 1985), "Patara Monasteri Toskanashi" (A Little Monastery in Tuscany) (doc., 1988 – SCAM Prize for the Best French Documentary Film of the Year, 1988), "Da Ikmna Nateli" (And There Was Light) (1989, Grand Special Jury Prize – Venice IFF, 1989); "Peplebze Nadiroba" (Chasing Butterflies) (1992, Special Prize of Italian Film Critics – Venice IFF; CICAE Prize; A. Tarkovsky Foundation Prize, 18th Moscow IFF; all – 1993), "Kachaghebi [Qachaghebi]. Tavi VII" (Brigands-Chapter VII) (1996, Grand Jury Prize for Directing – Venice IFF, 1996; Russian Film Academy Award "Nika" for Best Directing, 1997); "Mshvidobit, Khmeleto!" (Farewell, Home Sweet Home!) (1999, Louis Delluc Prize for the Best French Film of the Year; "Golden Ram" Prize for the Best Foreign Film – Moscow IFF; FIPRESCI Prize – Cannes IFF; all – 2000), and "Shantrapa" (Chantrapas) (2010, Jean Vigo Prize – Cannes IFF, 2010).

These films, shot in Paris, Venice, the Basque Country, Tuscany, Provence, or African villages, are variations of the themes initiated in Georgia, in which the director expresses his doubt and irony towards the challenges of the modern world. Ioseliani created his own style and his own world; his films are one continuous, unending story, a grand canvas conceptualized as a "Human Comedy," within the space of which each new film takes the place of the next act in the "play of life."

Ioseliani was a member of the European Film Academy and a member of the Union of Cinematographers of Georgia. He has been awarded professional prizes: "Triumph" (Moscow, 1993), "CineMerit" (Munich, 2011). He was the author of the book "Lui. Kadrireba" (Louis. Framing) (2009, Tbilisi, "Kentavri" Publishing House).

Literary works: ტექსტი, მსახიობი, კრ.: კინოხელოვნების პრობლემები, თბ., 1992; «Жил певчий дрозд». Проект киносценария, «Киносценарий», 2003, №2–3.

Literature:  ამირეჯიბი ნ., ოთარ იოსელიანი, თბ., 2003; ბრაშინსკი მ., უცხო კაცის სიბრძნის თვალი, «საბჭოთა ხელოვნება», 1987, №10; თვალჭრელიძე ტ., ოთარ იოსელიანი, კრ.: სიმართლე ეკრანზე, თბ., 1981; კუჭუხიძე ი., ოთარ იოსელიანი, კრ.: ქართველი კინორეჟისორები, თბ., 2005–06; Плахов А., Enfant terrible уходящей природы, კრ.: Всего 33, Винница, 1999; Тиканадзе Р., Грузинское кино... проблемы, искания, Тб., 1978; Фомин В., Пересечение параллельных, М., 1976; Церетели К., Трилогия Отара Иоселиани, კრ.: Кинопанорама, М., 1981.

M. Kereselidze