Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird
Otar Iosseliani, a Georgian filmmaker influenced by the works of Jacques Tati and the collision between rural and urban life in the twentieth century, remains one of the most prodigious inventors of cinematic forms and scenographies. This program is composed of copies from our collections, most of which are in 35mm.
For just over a day, we follow Guia, a young percussionist with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. Indolent and charming, he wanders the city, often late, meeting friends and lovers.
Otar Iosseliani
Born in 1934 in Tbilisi, Georgia (then part of the USSR), Otar Iosseliani studied filmmaking at the Moscow Film Institute of the Soviet Union, where he directed his first film, Aquarelle, in 1958. The films he made during the 1960s and 1970s were banned from being shown in the USSR. However, Falling Leaves and Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird managed to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, revealing his talent to foreign audiences. From 1982 onwards, Iosseliani has lived and worked in France, where he directed films such as And Then There Was Light, Monday Morning, and Autumn Gardens. He continued his career as a filmmaker into the 2010s, receiving numerous awards at international festivals as well as several honorary distinctions in Georgia.
