The Georgian Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Thea Tsulukiani, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Otar Ioseliani, a Georgian People’s Artist, director, and screenwriter.
He died on 17 December 2023 at the age of 89. Otar Ioseliani was born on 2 February 1934 in Tbilisi, where he studied music at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and graduated in 1952.
He later moved to Moscow to study mathematics. Still, he switched to film directing at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), where he learned from prominent Soviet filmmakers such as Alexander Dovzhenko, Lev Kuleshov, and Mikhail Romm.
He began his career as an assistant director and editor at the Georgian Film Studio (Gruziafilm) in 1956. He directed his first short film, Akvarel, in 1958 and his first feature film, Falling Leaves (Giorgobistve), in 1966.
His films were often critical of the Soviet regime and faced censorship and distribution problems. He won international acclaim and awards at various film festivals, such as Cannes, Venice, and Berlin.
In 1982, he left the Soviet Union and settled in France, where he continued to make films that reflected his unique and original style, blending humour, irony, and poetry. Some of his most notable films include Favourites of the Moon (1984), And Then There Was Light (1989), Chasing Butterflies (1992), Farewell, Home Sweet Home (1999), and Winter Song (2015)12
Otar Ioseliani was a member of the Creative Union of Cinematographers of Georgia and a recipient of many titles and awards. He was an Honored Artist of Georgia since 1979, a Georgian People’s Artist since 1998, and a laureate of the Shota Rustaveli State Prize in 1998. He also received the French Academy Gold Medal in 1999 and the Tbilisi International Film Festival Honorary Award in 2022.
The Georgian Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth honours Otar Ioseliani’s death in front of Georgian culture and sends condolences to his family, colleagues, and the whole Georgian society.
Otar Ioseliani is survived by his wife, actress and singer Ia Shugliashvili, and his son, filmmaker Temur Ioseliani. He will be remembered as a master of cinema and a national treasure.
