Otar Iosseliani Movies
Otar Iosseliani was born in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, where he studied at the State Conservatory and graduated in 1952 with a diploma in composition, conducting and piano. In 1953 he went to Moscow to study at the faculty of mathematics, but in two years he quit and entered the State Film Institute (VGIK) where his teachers were Alexander Dovzhenko and Mikhail Chiaureli. While still a student, he began working at the Gruziafilm studios in Tbilisi, first as an assistant director and then as an editor of documentaries. In 1958 he directed his first short film Akvarel. In 1961 he graduated from VGIK with a diploma in film direction. When his medium-length film Aprili (1961) was denied theatrical distribution, Iosseliani abandoned filmmaking and in 1963-1965 worked first as a sailor on a fishing boat and then at the Rustavi metallurgical factory. Aprili was finally released only in 1972. In 1966 he directed his first feature film Giorgobistve that was presented at the Critics' Week at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival and won a FIPRESCI award there. When his 1976 film Pastorali was shelved for a few years and then granted only a limited distribution, Iosseliani grew sceptical about getting any artistic freedom in his homeland. Following Pastorali's success at the 1982 Berlin Film Festival, the director moved to France where in 1984 he made Les Favoris de la Lune. The film was distinguished with a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Since then Venice became a showcase for all his subsequent films. In 1989 he again received a Special Jury Prize for Et la Lumiere Fut and in 1992 the Pasinetti Award for Best Direction for La Chasse aux Papillons. After the disruption of the Soviet Union he continued to work in France where he made the documentary Seule Georgie (1994) which was followed by the sardonic and allegorical Brigands - Chapitre VII (1996). ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide- 2007
Though far better known in Europe than in the United States, Eastern European director Otar Iosseliani (who hails from Georgia) claims a bevy of international awards and a devoted fanbase, and commands a formidable amount of respect in film circles for his meticulous cinematic craftsmanship. Almost uniquely for a contemporary filmmaker of his stature, Iosseliani (best known for his 2002 Berlinale Silver Bear winner Lundi Matin) states that an integral part of his creative process involves receiving divine intervention from the Almighty - his everpresent muse. With the documentary Otar Iosseliani: The Whistling Blackbird, filmmaker Julie Bertucelli - a longtime friend of Iosseliani's - follows the 73-year-old director around, camera in tow, and explores his creative process, gaining unparalleled insight into a mind so flooded with projects and plans and visions that most, as he readily admits, will never see fruition. The film observes Iosseliani as he orchestrates preproduction of a film, by collaborating diligently with storyboard artists and his Director of Photography, William Lubtchansky, and engaging in discussions of creative difference that run the gamut from light and witty to heated and caustic. The picture also unveils the degree to which Ioselliani insists on casting his pictures with lay men and women, and his enormous emphasis on the kinesthetics of movement, visual artistry and camera balletics, often at the expense of dialogue - a preference that cannot be tagged with a value judgement, for it is part and parcel of Iosseliani's unique filmic voice. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2006
A French government minister named Vincent (Severin Blanchet) resigns from his official duties to experience a loose life of drink, women and good times in this satirical comedy from writer/director Otar Losseliani. His provincial mother (Michel Piccoli) watching bemused from the sidelines as her once-respectable son experiences the heretofore unexplored pleasures and pitfalls of the everyman, Vincent soon finds himself mixed up in a curious carnival of guns, exotic wild animals, and, of course, the Luxembourg Gardens. There once was a time when Vincent was defined by his government job and the creature comforts that seemed to go hand-in-hand witch such a powerful position. His hoity-toity status, trophy wife, and luxury apartment may be a thing of the past these days, but thankfully Vincent isn't the type to sit around obsessing about the way things were. Thanks to his rich mother he can even rest easy in the modest Paris apartment complex she has so generously bestowed him. Now, despite the fact that a community of undesirable immigrant squatters has overrun the tenement, the former minister casually settles into his comfortable new existence of visiting with eccentric friends and filling his evenings with wine, women, and good friends. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Severin Blanchet, Michel Piccoli, (more)
Vincent (Jacques Bidou, producer of Raoul Peck's Lumumba and several other films, making his acting debut) lives in a little French town, filled with eccentrics, and he follows the same routine, day in and day out. Up at five a.m. every morning, he takes the car to the bus to work, where he and his co-workers enjoy smoking a cigarette during the ten-second walk from the bus to the chemical plant gate. There the dreariness continues. He gets no satisfaction from his work, and none from his home life, where his wife (Anne Kravz-Tarnavsky) nags him, his older son, Nicolas (Dato Tarielashvili), ignores him and his younger son, Gaston (Adrien Paschod), gets into mischief. All Vincent wants to do is relax and paint, but he rarely gets the time. One day, instead of putting his cigarette out and going to work, he walks away from the plant and enjoys his smoke. He then goes to visit his father (Radslav Kinski), who encourages him to take a trip to Venice and visit an old friend of the family. In Venice, Vincent is robbed. He meets his father's old friend, Enzo di Martino (played by the writer-director of the film, Otar Iosseliani), a vainglorious fallen nobleman who goes to great lengths to impress his guest. Vincent also meets and befriends Carlo (Arrigo Mozzo), who turns out to lead a remarkably similar life. Iosseliani won the Silver Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival for his direction of Monday Morning; the film was also shown at the 2002 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacques Bidou, Arrigo Mozzo, (more)
A rich young man decides to find out how the other half lives in the comedy Adieu, Plancher Des Vaches!. Nicolas (Niko Tarielashvili) is the oldest son in a wealthy family headed by his mother (Lily Lavina), a successful businesswoman with a busy schedule, and his father (Otar Iosseliani), an eccentric alcoholic with a weakness for wine and model trains. Nicolas seems to have mixed feelings about his family's privileged lifestyle; his best friend is a beggar and Nic works in a cafe, where he washes dishes and tries to impress the owner's daughter, who prefers the company of a surly sailor with a motorcycle. One night, Nic sneaks a group of his lower-class buddies into the family wine cellar for an informal fete; Dad soon joins them, striking up a sudden friendship with a wino who tags along. But Nic's flirtation with the less comfortable side of life also leads to friendships with petty criminals, leading him to wonder if the life of the upper classes might not be so bad after all. Adieu, Plancher Des Vaches! was written and directed by Otar Iosseliani, who also gave himself a plum supporting role as Father. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nico Tarielashvili, Lily Lavina, (more)
In this satiric comedy/drama from Georgian director Otar Iosseliani, a group of censors gather to pass judgement on a new film. However, the reels are shown out of order, so they find the story jumps from one time period to another as the moral guardians are treated to a parade of sex, violence, and bitterly ironic humor. A group of modern-day snipers perched on a rooftop open fire on unknowing passers-by down below. The ruler of an ancient kingdom journeys to lead his troops into battle after putting his wife in a chastity belt -- not knowing she has a key and revenge on her mind. Arms dealers in Paris eat, drink, and are merry as they enjoy the spoils of their deadly trade. And a Soviet policemen in the Communist era decides to show his son what he does for a living, treating him to a day of watching father beat and torture innocent people. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amiran Amiranashvili, Dato Gogibeidashvili, (more)
This gentle French comedy has a meandering plotline as it traces the exploits of a young man recognized as a the son of a star. The main protagonist is 23-year old Harvey who works as the guide for a group of Georgian singers who have a Paris gig. He is interested in Dinara, the 18-year old interpreter for the group. While in a restaurant, they encounter Marco Garciano who tells them he played the small lad in Crin blanc, a classic French film. He is really a half-time chauffeur and con-artist. Marco tells Harvey that he is the son of Gascogne, the father of the New Wave, and close friend and inspiration to many directors between 1958 and 1962. Marco tries to prove his point by taking Harvey and Dinara to meet some former French film impresarios. They see Alexandra Stewart and Bernadette Lafont. They also meet Claude Chabrol while he eats lunch. They meet many more including director Michel Deville. All they meet are convinced that Harvey is indeed Gascogne's son. Many of the female stars claim to be his mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Grégoire Colin, (more)
- 1994
This made for TV documentary video provides a complete look at the history and culture of Georgia, a former Soviet State that has come into its own again. The film is in three sections. The first,"Prelude" chronicles Georgian history up through the 18th century. It also examines the unique Georgian culture. The second section, "Temptation," using archival footage, examines the purges, deportations, and new Communist policies that took place after the Russian revolution. While the Russians had tremendous impact upon the Georgian lifestyle, they did not destroy the Georgian culture. The third section, "The Ordeal" examines the current situation of Georgia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
Otar Iosseliani's comedy of manners is about eccentric old ladies and the equally eccentric guests who visit the ladies' mansion in a Parisian suburb. Though the picture's surrealistic touch, deliberately unhurried pace, and attention to detail are reminiscent of the later works of Luis Buñuel, Iosseliani is certainly an artist in his own right. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Narda Blanchet, Pierrette Pompom Bailhache, (more)
- 1989
Events in an idyllic African village are shown in detail in the period just before logging trucks come in and cut down the forest around the villagers, forcing them to move into the wretched shantytowns that surround major cities throughout the undeveloped world. Despite the familiar premise, this surprisingly unsentimental film by Georgian director Otar Ioselliani has several things going for it, beginning with the cinematography and including the natural and unaffected (non-professional) performances of the villagers. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Director Otar Iosseliani hit the nail on the head when describing Favorites of the Moon as "an abstract comedy." Indeed, if ten different people who saw the film were asked to describe the plot, there would be ten different answers. All would agree, however, that the storyline is contingent upon two inanimate objects: an 18th-century chinaware set, and a 19th-century nude portrait. The dozens of characters inextricably linked to these two items are drawn from social circles ranging from chi-chi art lovers to unscrupulous terrorists. The film's original title was Les Favoris de la Lune (no lie!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pascal Aubier, Alix de Montaigu, (more)
- 1978
Pastorale won the International Critics' Prize from the 1982 Berlin Film Festival. Director Otar Ioseliani was something of an outsider in the Soviet system and now lives and works in France. This film, made in 1976, was not released in the West until 1982. Iosseliani's films show a characteristically Georgian film style; focusing more on character and mood than narrative coherence, they exhibit a characteristically whimsical humor. Pastorale explores what is truly valuable in human relationships, when one cuts away the non-essentials. The story shows what happens when a highly cultured group of musicians from a string quartet spend the summer rehearsing in a small village in the Georgian countryside. In this contemplative, idiosyncratic and somewhat humorous film, they get embroiled in local controversies, and share their gusto for living, loving and drinking with the villagers, to whom they are otherwise incomprehensible, while they rehearse and bicker among themselves. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nestor Pipia, Rezo Charkhalashvili, (more)
- 1968
When a young engineer takes a job in a wine factory, he is warned not to become too closely involved with the other workers. He converses with a flirtatious young woman and gets beaten up by a thug who admires her. The young man warns his boss that a new vat of wine is not acceptable to be bottled. Under pressure to meet the product quota, the boss has it bottled anyway. The engineer fails to convince the bureaucracy that the swill is unfit for human consumption. An ironic twist finds the engineer and some workers being served the wine in a local tavern. This film marks the directorial debut for Georgian director Otar Iosseliani. The literal Russian title of the feature is Listopad. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramaz Giorgobiani, Marina Kartsivadze, (more)
- 1961
Recalling the charm and humor of a Jacques Tati film, this fantasy, by noted Georgian director Otar Iosseliani, is about young love undone by consumerism. Using almost no dialogue, and set amid the dilapidated architecture of Tbilisi, the film focuses on a tall young man (Tanya Chantouria) as he woos a pretty lass (Gia Chirakadze). Though their apartment is rundown and nearly empty, their love makes the water flow, the electricity run, and the flames flicker on their stove. Yet when they start outfitting their abode with newly purchased furniture and precious odds and ends, they start to squabble. Shot in 1962, and almost immediately banned by the Soviet authorities for excessive formalism, this film made its first screening with its full 50-minute running time at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
