Georgian President mourns death of acclaimed film director Eldar Shengelaia

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Monday expressed deep sadness over the death of acclaimed film director Eldar Shengelaia.

In a social media message, Kavelashvili extended his condolences to Shengelaia's family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Georgian public.

The President emphasised the director's lasting impact, stating that Shengelaia left an indelible mark not only on Georgian cinema but on the country's culture as a whole.

“I express my deep condolences over the passing of Georgian film director Eldar Shengelaia. His death is a tremendous loss for the entire country.Through his work, he left an indelible mark not only on cinema but also on Georgian culture, and generations of viewers have come to love his creations. I extend my sympathy and condolences to Eldar Shengelaia’s family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Georgian society”, he said.

Shengelaia graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow in 1958 and then worked for the studio Mosfilm.

In 1960, he became a director at the Tbilisi-based Gruziya-film studio. In 1969, Shengelaia gained nationwide acclaim with the satirical tragicomedy Unusual Exhibition socio-political allusions of which caused discontent in the official Soviet cinema establishment. Since then, Shengelaia has retained a reputation as a highly individual filmmaker.