Leila Abashidze facts for kids

Leila Abashidze (Georgian: ლეილა აბაშიძე) was a famous Georgian actress, director, and screenwriter. She was born on August 1, 1929, and passed away on April 8, 2018.

Leila Abashidze was known as a "Meritorious Artist" and "People's Artist" of Georgia. These titles are special honors given to artists who have achieved great success. She also received awards from film festivals in Europe and Asia. A special honorary star for her is placed in front of the Rustaveli cinema in Tbilisi, Georgia.

During her career, many people called her the "Mary Pickford of the USSR". Mary Pickford was a very famous early Hollywood actress. This shows how popular Leila Abashidze was. She became one of the most loved actresses in Georgia and the Soviet Union.

Leila Abashidze's Acting Career

Leila Abashidze started acting at a young age. She became very popular after starring in the 1954 movie Dragonfly. In this film, she showed her talent as a comedic actress. People loved her funny and lively performances.

Major Film Successes

One of her biggest hits was the drama Meeting Past (1966). This movie was very successful and helped her gain even more fame. For her role in Meeting Past, she won an award for Best Actress at the Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) Film Festival in 1968.

Working as a Writer and Director

Leila Abashidze was not only an actress. She also wrote screenplays for movies. She wrote the films Anticipation (1970) and Silence of Towers (1978).

In 1980, she took on even more roles for the movie Tbilisi-Paris-Tbilisi. For this film, she was the director, the writer, and the main actress. This showed her many talents in filmmaking.

Awards and Honors

Leila Abashidze received many important awards throughout her life for her contributions to film:

• Meritorious Artist of Georgia (1958): This was one of her first major honors.
• People's Artist of Georgia (1965): A higher honor recognizing her significant artistic achievements.
• People's Artist of Chechnya-Ingushetia (1964): An award from another region of the Soviet Union.
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1961): A special award given by the Soviet Union for great work.
• Best Actress Award at the St. Petersburg Film Festival (1968): For her role in Meeting Past.
• Prize of 2 World Festivals in Tokyo (1997): Recognizing her international impact.

Later Life and Passing

Leila Abashidze continued to be a respected figure in Georgian cinema. She passed away in Tbilisi on April 8, 2018, at the age of 88. She died from a stroke. Her work continues to be remembered and celebrated in Georgia and beyond.