Georgia:Â Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, congratulates the extraordinary Georgian filmmaker Merab Kokochashvili on his birthday.
Renowned filmmaker Merab Kokochashvili graduated from the Moscow Union State Institute of Cinematography’s Faculty of Film Directing in 1960 (G. Shirokovi’s workshop).
At the beginning of his career, he shot films: “Khmeli Sipeli” (m/m, based on the motives of the story of Vazha Pshavela, 1959; Silver Medal of the International Film Festival of Youth and Student, 1960), “Kardakar” (o. With Abesadze, 1960), “Holidays” (1962), “Mikha” (m/m, Mikheil Javakhishvili’s story according to “Musus”, 1964).
The director dedicated the eternal problem of civilization conflict to the genius movie Great Green Veli (1967, Diploma for Best Directing, Best Cinematography and Best Performance of a Male Role at the 1968 Yerevan Film Festival), which some critics consider to be the best movie in the history of Georgian voice cinema.
In the 70s of the last century, the director shot films: “Good Trip, Jacko! “(n. According to Dumbadze’s novel – “Don’t be afraid, Mother”, 1973) and “Mtsvervali” (1976).
His brilliant film “Hot Summer Three Days” (1981) is dedicated to Faqiz’s attitude towards cultural heritage.
In 1983, Merab Kokochashvili made a five-series TV documentary, “Road” (Rustaveli State Prize, 1987), the first attempt to screen the country’s history. In 1992, a documentary film, “Phenomenon,” was shot—a cinematic study about a multi-voiced Georgian song.
A feature film, “Nutsa School” (2000), was shot in 2000. The hero, a young teacher, is thinking about rebuilding a school in his father-grandfather’s homeland under new social conditions.
A keen attitude to tradition and the relationship between generations, individual freedom, the meaning of being and the purpose of a person, the price of liberty, and devotion to values that are the basis of the nation’s future development are the main themes of Merab Kokochashvili’s work, which can be felt more or less strongly in all of his films.
In the 2000s, Merab Kokochashvili shot fiction and documentary films: “Late Kadish” (doc., 2002), “Variation on the Theme of Othello” (2003), “USUI” (2005), “If I Forget, Jerusalem! “(Doc. , 2006), “Georgian compatriots in Egypt” (doc., 2007), “The Wine Cradle” (doc., 2011).
The feature-documentary film House of Joy (2008) is dedicated to the history of the creation of the Georgian cinema masterpieces Keto and Kote.
Merab Kokochashvili, as an actor, participates in films: “Giorgi Saakadze” (M. Chiaureli, 1942-1943, little Paata Saakadze), “Don’t worry!” (G. Danelia, 1969, Poruchiki Ishkhneli), “Beard” (1976, Temuri).
For years, Merab Kokochashvili was the artistic director of the Georgian television film studio (1976-2005) and secretary of the Union of Cinematographers (1976-1996). From 1993 to 2006, he was in charge of the Cinema Language and Structural Research Laboratory at TSU. He is the founder and director of the Young Directors Union—”New Studio”.
Parallel to his creative and social activities, the filmmaker has been actively involved in teaching—since 1989, he has been a teacher at the Film Faculty of Tbilisi State University.
Merab Kokochashvili is the People’s Artist of Georgia (1986) and Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (2022).
Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports congratulates Merab Kokochashvili on his birthday and wishes him health and longevity.
