“I am happy. Looking at these young people today I made sure that our future will be beautiful and attractive. I guessed that we have educated young people. I am very glad to participate in this important evening and I want to express my gratitude to everyone,” Eldar Shengelaia, film director and screenwriter, said at the evening held at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on March 15. Students, academics and invited guests emphasized the famous film director’s contribution to the development of Georgian art.
Eldar Shengelaia led the Cinema and Art Department of Tbilisi State University for years. Just the latter organized the evening with Eldar Shengelaia. Rector of TSU, Giorgi Sharvashidze awarded the Ivane Javakhishvili Medal to Eldar Shengelaia for his special contribution to the Tbilisi State University, long and fruitful pedagogical and organizational activities at the university, as well as special contribution to the development of the branch.
The evening was hosted by Merab Kokochashvili, a famous Georgian film director, head of the Department of Film and Television of the Institute of Visual Arts at the TSU Faculty of Humanities. He noted that with their emotions and questions, young people reiterated their love and interest towards Eldar Shengelaia’s creative work. “Eldar Shengelaia ended his speech by talking about love; he said: ‘If you love life, if you love a human, if you are ready to do everything with love, then you will achieve everything.’ I want to say that he lived his entire life this way. That is why his films are unforgettable,” Merab Kokochashvili said.
“I want our young people to understand – what Georgia really has is its culture and art, with which we can make a contribution to global civilization. Eldar Shengelaia’s creative work is just an expression of this culture. I am very glad to see a huge interest from young people,” film director Lana Gogoberidze said.
Some fragments of Eldar Shengelaia’s films, as well as a trailer of his new film “Armchair,” which was premiered recently, were shown during the evening.
