Asatiani Giorgi

Giorgi Asatiani (10 June 1914, Borzia, modern Chiti district—17 November 1977, Tbilisi) was a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer; People’s Artist of Georgian (1961) and USSR (1967).

He completed his education at the Leningrad Institute of Cinematography in 1936 and began his career as a cinema reporter in Astrakhan. During 1939–41, he was a cinema reporter in Stalingrad. During World War II, he worked as a war correspondent. His front-line materials were used in documentary films: Novorosiiskis Agheba [Capture of Novorossiysk] (1943), Hitleruli Avantiuris Dasasruli Kavkasiashi [End of Hitler’s plans in the Caucasus] (1943), Berdichevis Ageba [Capture of Berdichev] (1944), and others. From 1945 on, he worked as a correspondent at the Documentary Films Center in Georgia, producing over 600 newsreels. While traveling in over 60 countries worldwide, he created numerous films: Briuselis Msoflio Gamofena [World Exhibition in Brussels] (1958), Nadiroba Junglebshi [Hunting in the Jungles] (1959), Msoflio Tashs Ukravs [The World is Clapping] (1960), Nairsartuliani Amerika "High-rises in America" (1961), Alzhiris Dgiuri [Algerian Diary], Marokoelta Mitsa [The Land of Moroccans] and "Sahara" (all 1962), Respublikis Dabadeba [Birth of a Republic] (1963), Encounter with Greece (1964), "Paris... Paris" (1965), Ekvadors Ikit, Okeaneta Shoris [Beyond the Equator, Among the Oceans] (1968), Munich, 25 Years Later (1969), "Swiss Novels" (1970), Espanetis Dziebashi [In Search of Spain], and more.

Asatiani was the first to record Georgian cultural monuments abroad. He created full-length documentary films about Georgia and its people: Atastsleulovani Bilikebi [Millennial Trails] (1967), Sakartvelo: Legendebi da Sinamdvile [Georgia: Myths and Reality] (1970), Katsobriobis Gazafkhuli [The Spring of Humankind] (1975), Ambavi Kartui Vazisa [The Story of Georgian Grapevine" (1975), Tavisuplebis Shuki [The Light of Freedom] (1976), Gantiadis Shesakhvedrad [To Meet the Dawn] (1977, with G. Zhvania), and many others.

Throughout the years, Asatiani was a leading figure in Georgian cinematography, a secretary of the Georgian Cinematographers' Association, a member of the Georgian Cinematography Committee and the artistic director of the Georgian Scientific-Popular and Documentary Films Studio. He received numerous awards, state honors, and medals.

A. Gventsadze