Georgiy Daneliya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgiy Daneliya
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Georgiy Daneliya (2010)
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| Born | 25 August 1930 |
| Died | 4 April 2019 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1958–2019 |
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Notable work
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| Title | People's Artist of the USSR (1989) |
| Spouse(s) | Irina Ginsburg Lyubov Sokolova Galina Yurkova |
Georgiy Nikolayevich Daneliya (born August 25, 1930 – died April 4, 2019) was a famous Soviet and Georgian film director and screenwriter. He was known for his unique style of "sad comedies." He received many important awards, including being named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1989.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Georgiy Daneliya was born in Tbilisi, which is in Georgia. His father, Nikolai Danelia, came from a farming family. He became an engineer and worked on building the Moscow Metro. Georgiy's mother, Maria Anjaparidze, came from a noble family. She was also involved in filmmaking as a director and assistant.
Georgiy's aunt, Veriko Anjaparidze, was a very popular actress. Her husband, Mikheil Chiaureli, was a well-known Soviet film director. Their daughter, Sofiko Chiaureli, also became a famous actress. She even starred in Georgiy Daneliya's film Don't Grieve alongside her mother.
When Georgiy was one year old, his family moved to Moscow. He grew up there and started school. During World War II, he and his mother stayed in Tbilisi for two years. His father worked on building underground command centers for the war effort. The family reunited in Moscow in 1943.
Becoming a Film Director
Georgiy Daneliya started his career by acting in small roles in movies directed by his uncle, Mikheil Chiaureli. He first studied architecture and worked as an architect for two years after graduating in 1955.
In 1956, he decided to join the Higher Director's Courses at the Mosfilm Studio, a major film studio. He learned from famous director Mikhail Kalatozov. Georgiy graduated in 1959 and began working at Mosfilm.
First Films and New Styles
His first full-length film, Seryozha (also called Splendid Days), was made with his friend Igor Talankin. It was based on a popular book and won an award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
In 1963, Daneliya worked with writer Gennady Shpalikov on his first comedy, Walking the Streets of Moscow. This film was inspired by a new style of French movies. It was a "lyric (or sad) comedy," a new type of film that became Daneliya's special style. The movie was very popular and was shown at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.
However, his next film, Thirty Three (1965), was a comedy that made fun of the government at the time. It was quickly banned after it came out. Even though it was banned, many people still managed to see it over the years.
Famous Comedies and Sci-Fi
After Thirty Three was banned, Daneliya focused on his "sad comedies." He made many successful films that made him one of the top comedy directors in the Soviet Union. Some of his most famous movies include:
- Afonya (1975), about a plumber.
- Mimino (1977), about a Georgian pilot.
- Autumn Marathon (1979), about a translator. This film won a top prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
His film Gentlemen of Fortune (1971), which he helped write, was seen by 65 million people and became one of the most-watched Soviet films. Afonya and Mimino were also huge hits.
In 1986, Daneliya directed a science fiction movie called Kin-dza-dza!. It became a cult classic, meaning it was very popular with a dedicated group of fans.
Later in his career, he worked on an animated remake of Kin-dza-dza! called Ku! Kin-dza-dza!. He also wrote three books about his life and experiences in filmmaking.
Personal Life
Georgiy Daneliya was married twice. His first wife was Irina Ginzburg, a lawyer. They had a daughter named Svetlana. He later lived with actress Lyubov Sergeyevna Sokolova for many years. They had a son, Nikolai, who also became a film director. Nikolai passed away at a young age.
Later, Daneliya married Galina Ivanovna Yurkova, who was also a film director. He adopted her son, Kirill, who became an artist. Georgiy Daneliya had six grandchildren.
In 1980, Georgiy Daneliya had a very serious illness and spent a year in the hospital. In his later years, he stayed mostly at home due to a long-term lung condition. He passed away in 2019.
Daneliya's Film Trademarks
Georgiy Daneliya often wrote the screenplays for his own films. He also had several special things that appeared in many of his movies, making them unique.
Favorite Actors and Songs
One of his closest friends and "lucky charms" was the actor Yevgeny Leonov. After their film Thirty Three in 1965, Leonov appeared in almost all of Daneliya's movies for 30 years.
A traditional Russian song, "At the river, at the river, on the other shore Marusenka washed her white legs," also became a trademark. Leonov's character sang it in Thirty Three, and it could be heard in many of Daneliya's other films, sometimes sung, sometimes whistled, and even in different languages.
Another actor who often appeared in Daneliya's films was his Georgian friend Vakhtang Kikabidze.
The Mysterious R. Khobua
Starting with Don't Grieve (1969), every one of Daneliya's movies had a mysterious name, R. Khobua, listed in the credits for small acting roles. Rene Khobua was actually a builder from Georgia whom Daneliya met by chance. They decided to include his name in all future films as a joke.
Inside Jokes and References
Daneliya's films often had small references to his earlier works. For example, a character in Walking the Streets of Moscow whistles a tune from his earlier film, The Road to Berth. A song from Walking the Streets of Moscow can also be heard in Thirty Three. Characters or catchphrases from one movie might pop up in another, creating fun connections for viewers who watched all his films.
Filmography
As director
- Vasisuali Lohankin (Васисуалий Лоханкин) (1958); short
- Also People (Тоже люди) (1959); short
- Splendid Days (Серёжа) (1960); co-directed with Igor Talankin
- The Road to Berth (Путь к причалу) (1962)
- Walking the Streets of Moscow (Я шагаю по Москве) (1963)
- Thirty Three (Тридцать три) (1965)
- Don't Grieve (Не горюй!) (1969)
- Hopelessly Lost (Совсем пропащий) (1972)
- Afonya (Афоня) (1975)
- Mimino (Мимино) (1977)
- Autumn Marathon (Осенний марафон) (1979)
- Tears Were Falling (Слёзы капали) (1982)
- Kin-dza-dza! (Кин-Дза-Дза!) (1986)
- Passport (Паспорт) (1990)
- Nastya (Настя) (1993)
- Heads and Tails (Орёл и Решка) (1995)
- Fortune (Фортуна) (2000)
- Ku! Kin-dza-dza! (Ку! Кин-дза-дза) (2013)
As screenwriter
- 1972 – Gentlemen of Fortune (Джентльмены удачи); with Viktoriya Tokareva
- 1988 – Frenchman (Француз); with Sergei Bodrov
- 1988 – Hello from Charlie the Trumpet player (Привет от Чарли Трубача); with Sergei Dernov
As actor
- 1942 — Giorgi Saakadze (Георгий Саакадзе) as peasant boy
- 1951 — The Unforgettable Year 1919 (Незабываемый 1919 год) as guitar player
- 1955 — Mexican (Мексиканец) as guy with a guitar
- 1963 — Walking the Streets of Moscow (Я шагаю по Москве) as shoeshine man
- 1969 — Don't Grieve (Не горюй!) as station officer
- 1971 — Gentlemen of Fortune (Джентльмены удачи) as passerby
- 1977 — Mimino (Мимино) as commander of the crew of the aircraft «Tbilisi — Moscow»
- 1979 — Autumn Marathon (Осенний марафон) as Otto Skorzeny, officer in a television movie that Buzykins are watching
- 1982 — Tears Were Falling (Слёзы капали) as a passenger on the tram
- 1986 — Kin-dza-dza! (Кин-дза-дза!) as Abradox, ruler of the planet Alpha
- 1990 — Passport (Паспорт) as arab on a donkey
- 1993 — Nastya (Настя) as cultural worker
- 1995 — Heads and Tails (Орёл и решка) as design engineer
- 2000 — Fortune (Фортуна) as kingpin
- 2006 — Carnival Night 2 (Карнавальная ночь-2, или 50 лет спустя) as cameo appearance
- 2013 — Ku! Kin-dza-dza (Ку! Кин-дза-дза) as Camomile / Diogenes (voices)
Awards and Recognition
Georgiy Daneliya received many important awards throughout his career for his contributions to cinema.
- He won the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for Sergei in 1960.
- His film Mimino won the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival in 1977 and the USSR State Prize in 1978.
- Autumn Marathon received the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 1979.
- He was honored as a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1974 and a People's Artist of the USSR in 1989, which are very high titles for artists in the Soviet Union.
- He received the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 1997 for his films Passport, Anastasia, and Heads and Tails.
- In 2005, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and successful career in film.
