Otar Ioseliani is a director who makes refined, ironic, intellectual films. His work is hardly familiar to a wide circle of young spectators, his ribbons rarely collect full halls, but he has an army of fans around the world. It belongs to the generation of the sixties, but modern Ioseliani tapes are relevant and in demand.
The beginning of the way
Otar Ioseliani, whose biography with a photo today is placed in all film encyclopedias, was born in Tbilisi (then Tiflis) on February 2, 1934. His father was an imperial officer, his mother was educated at the Institute of Noble Maidens. Since childhood, Otar spoke several languages, went to a music school, he recalled that he was lucky enough to absorb the culture of the old days. When Otar was very young, his father was repressed, and the boy was brought up by women: mother, grandmother and aunt. In 1952, he graduated from the music school in violin and conducting classes. The director said that one of the strongest of his youthful impressions was for him the films of John Ford, Rene Claire. Then he realized that cinema is a very serious matter, but he has not yet tried on this profession for himself.
Understanding the profession
After school, Otar travels to Moscow and enters the Moscow State University at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics. He studied there for three years. But once during a visit to a military factory, he realizes that he wants to do something more peaceful and leaves Moscow State University. So Ioseliani, a director from God, begins a new path. He withstood a huge competition and entered VGIK for the course of A.P. Dovzhenko and M.E. Chiaureli, where he studied until 1961. Masters not only conveyed the secrets of the profession, but also shaped the students' worldview. Ioseliani already from his student days was distinguished by great independence of views and freethinking.
First work
Already in his student work, Otar Ioseliani, a student director, tried to put a deep philosophical idea. Even in documentaries, he showed himself to be a deeply sensitive and philosophizing author. In his first documentary film âSapovnelaâ, the director shows the future distinctive features of his work: musicality, spirituality of nature. His thesis âAprilâ caused a great scandal, as anti-Soviet motives were present in it, the commission said that the heroes (boy and girl) are immoral, the film was recognized as almost pornographic. Although in it Ioseliani in a symbolic form sought to convey the simple truth that love should be protected from the hardships of everyday life, which can kill feelings. He had to shoot the documentary film Cast Iron, for which he worked for a year at a metallurgical plant. Thus began the difficult journey of Ioseliani into the profession.
Atmosphere of stuffiness
After graduating from VGIK Ioseliani, the director, whose biography was so difficult, began to look for an opportunity to work by profession. He manages to release two short films: âWatercolorâ and the ill-fated âAprilâ. But he has been going to great work for a long time, and it was only in 1968 that his first full-length film, Leaf Fall, was released. The picture is difficult for release on screens, censorship clings to various trifles, putting forward ridiculous accusations. But still the tape came out, and for it the young director received an award in Cannes and a prize from the French Film Academy. Georges Sadul "For the best debut."
The next picture of Otar Ioseliani was the documentary "Ancient Georgian Song" about the ancient vocal art of Georgia - polyphony. But censorship did not miss him, the film lay on the shelf for many decades. The director removes the game picture "Once upon a time there lived a songbird", which is also very long and difficult to accept by the artistic council. The author is accused of anti-Soviet sentiment, that he shows a hero atypical for the Soviet country. This philosophical tape is an example of the already formed artistic manner of Ioseliani. The film has almost no dynamics, landscapes, still lifes are accompanied by matchless Georgian music. The meaning is not born from words and actions, but from the composition of the film. "Pastoral" recognized alien to Soviet cinema and banned. The director was no longer allowed to shoot, he spent 7 years without work, life became unbearable.
Emigration
Otar Ioseliani, director, freedom-loving man, was for the Soviet intelligentsia the embodiment of the spirit of freedom, his films were cult, although few people saw them. But the filmmaker himself had a very difficult life, he wanted to work, but he did not have such an opportunity. Ioseliani was close friends with Sergei Dovlatov, who by that time had long lived in the United States. Another close friend of his, Vladimir Vysotsky, died, including due to the inability to live freely. Otarâs good friends - Joseph Brodsky and Mikhail Baryshnikov - have also left for the United States. Around Ioseliani there was such a situation that, except for emigration, he had no way in life. He needed to abandon either his homeland or himself. But he leaves without a demonstrative break with the country. Ioseliani puts forward a personal reason and without a fuss leaves for France.
Jobs in France
Near Paris, Otar Ioseliani, whose filmography so far totaled only three feature films, removes the picture âFavorites of the Moon,â which he had conceived in Georgia. The film is very successful, it receives the prize of the Venice Festival and great recognition from the European public. So begins a new successful life as a director. Now he regularly removes the tapes âAnd the Light Beganâ and âButterfly Huntâ together with âFavoritesâ made up the Ioseliani gold fund. In total, he shoots six films in France, which have passed around the world with varying degrees of success.
Return
In 2006, Otar Ioseliani, whose biography makes a circle and returns him to his homeland, begins to make films with the participation of Russian producers. He is increasingly coming to his homeland, participating in festivals, giving interviews. A kind of return is taking place, although Yoseliani continues to live more in France. But now he is again called the Georgian director. In the international team, he makes several new films: âGardens in Autumnâ, âChantrapâ, âWinter Songâ, in which he appears as a mature master with his unique vision of the world. They are full of deep symbolism and metaphors. Over the years, the artist is increasingly moving away from plot in the direction of associations and hints. These tapes were presented for premiere in Georgia and Russia, they received several prizes at European festivals.
Top movies
Otar Ioseliani, a director whose name is known to lovers of high-quality European cinema around the world, made only 12 films in 40 years. But the quality of his filmography is very high, among his legacy there are no failures. In each tape, he is progressively moving towards the crystallization of his artistic method. Therefore, choosing the best paintings in his legacy is not easy. There are critics who highlight the âgoldenâ period of Ioseliani and attribute three works to it: âFavorites of the Moonâ, âAnd the Light Beganâ and âButterfly Huntingâ. Some film scholars say that the real Ioseliani appeared in the trilogy âTruth in Wineâ, âMonday Morningâ and âGardens in Autumnâ. One way or another, for each viewer, the Master has his own film, which can become a favorite and the best.
Awards
Otar Ioseliani is a director who is not spoiled by the official recognition of the authorities in any of the three countries in which he worked. However, itâs a sin to complain, because he has a huge collection of awards and prizes from various festivals. For his 12 works, he received more than 20 awards. Among them are such prestigious prizes as FIPRESCI at the Cannes Film Festival, awards of the Venice, Berlin, Moscow film festivals. He is the recipient of the Felix, Nika, Golden Aries, J. Sadul, Golden Knight awards, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Locarno Film Festival âFor Contribution to Cinemaâ. Ioseliani always restrained praise, saying that he simply did what he could.
Ioseliani today
Today, Otar Ioseliani, a director whose films have become part of the golden fund of world cinema, is a living classic. His name is placed next to the names of Bunuel, Godard, Parajanov. All his life, he gracefully enough avoided criticizing political systems, although he was not a supporter of either the capitalist or the communist model of the state. He is a singer of freedom and simplicity. However, pain for his homeland sometimes erupts in his films, and he does not manage to completely get away from politics. So, in the tape "Georgia One", he could not resist accusations against the Soviet authorities. But today, Ioseliani goes into deep symbolism and tries to get away from everyday realities, his path is a philosophical reflection on the eternal.
The director continues to live in France, but often happens in Georgia, where he has relatives left. He never started his family, although legends circulated about his many novels.