Filmmaker Lana Gogoberidze awarded France's Order of Arts and Letters
Ambassador Diégo Colas awarded the title to the film director in Tbilisi. Photo via Embassy of France in Georgia.
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Acclaimed Georgian filmmaker Lana Gogoberidze has received the title of the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, a French state prize recognising contribution to the fields of art and literature.
Gogoberidze, known for her directorial work since the 1960s, accepted the prize from Ambassador of France Diégo Colas in Tbilisi on Monday, with the embassy calling it a "crowning of the brilliant career of the Georgian director and author".
The director, whose ties with France extend back to 2004 when she was appointed her country's ambassador in the republic, was also praised as a "key figure in international cinema and Franco-Georgian friendship" in the unveiling of the title.
The recognition follows recent domestic honours for Gogoberidze's career in cinematography, with her 90th birthday celebrated jointly with the 110 years of Georgian cinema in 2018.
The Order of Arts and Letters, awarded to the film director. Photo via Embassy of France in Georgia.
Graduating from the Moscow State University Faculty of Cinematography, she worked at the Soviet-era Georgian Film studio, directing features including the 1978 Some Interviews on Personal Matters, regarded as one of the first feminist films of the Soviet scene.
Coming from a family lineage of filmmakers, Gogoberidze was distinguished with the Prometheus Prize of the 2015 Tbilisi International Film Festival for her contribution to the country’s cinematic legacy.
Her accolades also include the 1993 Berlin International Film Festival Prize of the Ecumenical Jury for The Waltz on the Pechora and the 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival Award for Best Director for Whirlwind.
The director was also nominated for the 1984 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for Day Is Longer Than Night and for Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for The Waltz on the Pechora.
Recipients of various degrees of the Order of Arts and Letters include Greek composer Vangelis, American musical artist Jeff Mills and French actor Isabelle Adjani, as well as Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili.
Georgian translator Lali Unapkoshvili, distinguished with the Litera Award for Translation last year, has now been honoured for her work in bringing French literature to readers in her country with France's state Order of Academic Palms.
An autobiographical work by Lana Gogoberidze, one of the most important filmmakers in Georgian cinema history, is now available to readers in German.
The 90th birthday of acclaimed filmmaker Lana Gogoberidze was celebrated by cinema figures and cultural dignitaries in Tbilisi on Thursday, while an exhibition marking 110 years of Georgian cinema also opened at the National Archives of Georgia.
Award-winning Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili has joined a stellar list of recipients of France's top civilian award after he was decorated with the country's Order of Arts and Letters on Tuesday.