Cinema Guild to Launch Restorations of Otar Iosseliani This Summer

      No one has ever approached images as essential components of storytelling and atmosphere quite like Otar Iosseliani, although you might not be aware of this fact. A favored name among attendees of the repertory sections at international festivals, the Georgian director has long remained one of the best-kept secrets in world cinema. Thus, it is with a mix of excitement and melancholy that this secret is about to be unveiled: Cinema Guild has acquired 4K restorations of his films for theatrical and home video releases in North America.

      We are pleased to exclusively announce the beginning of their significant launch with “Otar Iosseliani: Fables of Modern Life,” starting at New York’s Asia Society on July 24-25 and continuing at Metrograph from August 8 to 23.

      The Asia Society will showcase Iosseliani’s first three feature films—Falling Leaves (1966), Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird (1970), and Pastorale (1979)—while Metrograph will provide an encore presentation followed by what I believe to be some of his most outstanding works: Favorites of the Moon (1984), And Then There Was Light (1989), Chasing Butterflies (1992), and Farewell, Home Sweet Home (1999), in addition to an early shorts program.

      Here is Cinema Guild’s official overview of Iosseliani, including details on each film:

      As a chronicler of traditions and a seeker of nearly lost values, Otar Iosseliani’s career spanned his home country of Georgia and his adopted nation of France, yet he maintained a consistent directorial vision throughout his extensive career: he was influenced by Tati, Dickens, and Buñuel, adept in the long-shot long take, and an insightful satirist fascinated by the diversity of human experiences. He expressed a sense of melancholy regarding how modern society—both the Soviet regime and Western capitalism—encourages and enforces uniformity. Following Asia Society’s premiere of Iosseliani’s Georgian trilogy this July, Metrograph will present the most comprehensive retrospective of his works seen in New York in a long time, offering a rare chance to explore—or revisit—this charming, unique artist who is both tender and humorously sharp.

      **Otar Iosseliani Early Shorts Program**

      A showcase of early shorts that positioned Iosseliani among a new wave of Georgian filmmakers. The program includes Akvarel, where a feuding couple in the working class experiences an epiphany at an art show; Sapovnela, depicting an elderly man who cares for stunning flower gardens facing disruption from a new road; April, focusing on a young couple whose happiness fades as their comfort grows after moving into a pristine housing complex; and Tudzhi (Cast Iron), a documentary that highlights life in an ironworks, portraying workers not as symbols of Soviet industrial strength but as individuals. Highlights include Akvarel (1958, 10 mins), Sapovnela (Song About a Flower) (1959, 18 mins), April (1962, 46 mins), and Tudzhi (Cast Iron) (1963, 20 mins).

      **FALLING LEAVES (1966, 91 min, 4K DCP)**

      Iosseliani’s first feature, which won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, follows novice oenologists Nico and Otar, freshly graduated from winemaking college, as they start work at a Tbilisi agricultural cooperative. The film portrays their initial romantic encounters alongside their experience with the corruption that stems from oppressive bureaucracy and arbitrary production quotas. This sharp satire of Soviet economic planning and its unforeseen effects serves as a deeply personal reflection on youth confronting adult negligence and corruption for the first time. A new 4K restoration of Falling Leaves was commissioned by Pastorale Productions. A Cinema Guild release.

      **THERE ONCE WAS A SINGING BLACKBIRD (1971, 78 min, 4K DCP)** preceded by GEORGIAN ANCIENT SONGS (1969, 20 min, DCP)

      Gia (Gela Kandelaki), a timpanist at the Tbilisi Philharmonic, has honed the art of arriving just in time for his cue before hastily exiting to indulge in flirtation and socializing. This film is a compelling character study of a generous, impulsive young man who embodies the vibrant energy of his bustling city. It flows with the same spontaneous spirit as its protagonist. It will be screened alongside Georgian Ancient Songs, which Iosseliani described as a film about Georgian traditional polyphony, exploring how these songs are crafted while also depicting life in earlier times. The official reaction to this film was one of outrage, but I managed to safeguard a print of it. New 4K restoration of There Was Once a Singing Blackbird commissioned by Pastorale Productions. A Cinema Guild release.

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