Renowned Georgian Director Dies at 54

Georgia grieves Zaza Urushadze, the renowned Georgian filmmaker who died on December 7, at the age of 54. Urushadze’s credits include the Oscar-nominated drama Tangerines, which was also nominated for the Academy Awards in 2015.

Urushadze was one of the country’s most prominent filmmakers, critically acclaimed for his works in the contemporary film industry. He was engulfed in cinematography: in addition to his directing work, he also headed the Georgian National Cinema Center between 2002 and 2004, and until recently, the Georgian Film Academy

The news about his sudden death broke on the night of December 7, during the closing weekend of the Tbilisi International Film Festival. Attendees of the festival took to social media right away to express their deep sorrow and regret over losing one of the most important figures in modern Georgian cinematography.

The media soon reported that the cause of Urushadze’s death was a heart attack. However, this turned doubtful as the following day the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that an investigation has been launched into the sudden death of the film director. The MIA reported that an investigation is underway under Article 115 (Bringing to the Point of Suicide) of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Urushadze was born in Tbilisi in 1965, to the family of a famous football goalkeeper. He has directed one TV series and 6 movies throughout his career.

Urushadze was first featured in a movie called ‘I Have Arrived’ as an actor in 1981. He first wrote a screenplay for ‘For Those Who Were Left By the Father’ in 1989. His directing career really kicked off in 1998’s with ‘Here Comes The Dawn’. The movie played international festivals and was even submitted by the country to the Oscar’s, though no nomination followed.

In 2008, he directed Three Houses, and also appeared in the film as an actor. After ‘Stay with Me’ (2011) and ‘Last Stroll’ (2012). In 2013, Georgia’s beloved film director came back with his most renowned work, Tangerines. The movie premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival, immediately becoming a hit. Tangerines was eventually nominated for the Golden Globe and Oscars in 2015, which further led to its acquisition for US distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Urushadze directed two cinematographic works after that: the 2017 drama The Confession (played at numerous festivals including Chicago and Busan), and the 2019 drama Anton. The director died before the premiere of the latter.

By Nini Dakhundaridze

Image source: zimbio.com