Depuis qu'Otar est parti... (2003)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Julie Bertucelli

Writers:

Julie Bertucelli (written by) &
Bernard Renucci (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 September 2003 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

For a mother, a sister and a niece, nothing is the same . . . Since Otar Left [UK Quad Poster]

Plot:

The one joy in the lives of a mother and daughter comes from the regular letters sent to them from Paris from the family's adored son...

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Market Place | Courtyard | Airport | Immigrant

Awards:

11 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Esther Gorintin	...	Eka
Nino Khomasuridze	...	Marina
Dinara Drukarova	...	Ada
Temur Kalandadze	...	Tengiz (as Temour Kalandadze)
Rusudan Bolqvadze	...	Rusiko (as Roussoudan Bolkvadze)
Sasha Sarishvili	...	Alexi (as Sacha Sarichvili)
Duta Skhirtladze	...	Niko (as Douta Skhirtladze)
Abdellah Moundy	...	Le berbère (as Abdallah Moundy)
Mzia Eristavi	...	Dora
Misha Eristavi	...	Fils Dora
Zoura Natrochvili	...	Voisin (Mika)
Alexandre Makhorablichvili	...	Fonctionnaire
Micha Moudjiri	...	Directeur usine
Jacques Fleury	...	Homme d'affaire 1
Frédéric Payen	...	Homme d'affaire 2
Manon Abacjodze	...	Postière 1
Manana Taralachvili	...	Postière 2
Irina Toukhoulova	...	Professuer fac
Médéa Roinichvili	...	Voisine
Iago Demetrachvili	...	Père Alexi
Gotcha Darbaidze	...	Otar en photo
Vaja Jalagania	...	Photographe
Malamine Sissokho	...	Chauffeur taxi
Sarah Chaumette	...	Hôtesse de l'air

Directed by
Julie Bertucelli

Writing credits
Julie Bertucelli		(written by) &
Bernard Renucci		(written by)
Roger Bohbot		(adaptation)
Alda Engoian		(translation) and
Gotcha Djavakhichvili		(translation) and
Miguel Machalski		(translation)

Produced by
Sébastien Delloye	....	co-producer: Entre Chien et loup
Diana Elbaum	....	co-producer: Entre Chien et loup
Yael Fogiel	....	producer
Laetitia Gonzalez	....	associate producer
Jana Sardlishvili	....	executive producer: Studio 99 (as Jana Sardlichvili)

Cinematography by
Christophe Pollock

Film Editing by
Emmanuelle Castro

Casting by
Stéphane Batut

Production Design by
Emmanuel de Chauvigny

Costume Design by
Nathalie Raoul

Makeup Department
Msia Kentshiashvili	....	hair stylist (as Mzia Kentchiachvili)
Msia Kentshiashvili	....	makeup artist (as Mzia Kentchiachvili)
Françoise Ben Soussan	....	hair stylist: Paris
Françoise Ben Soussan	....	makeup artist: Paris

Production Management
Sylvie Caillabet	....	post-production manager
Mat Troi Day	....	production manager
Adam Marchand	....	assistant unit manager
Jean-Philippe Moreteau	....	assistant unit manager
Regis Saillard	....	unit manager (as Régis Saillard)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elsa Amiel	....	second assistant director: Paris
Marine Kulumbegashvili	....	first assistant director (as Marina Kouloumbegachvili)
Gabriele Roux	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bruno Albanti	....	assistant set decorator: Paris
Besarion Gelashvili	....	assistant art director (as Bessarion Guelachvili)
Gia Laperadze	....	assistant art director (as Guia Laperadze)
Virginie Noël	....	set decorator: Paris
Mamuka Tkeshelashvili	....	set designer (as Mamouka Tkechelachvili)

Sound Department
Thomas Gauder	....	sound mixer
Aline Gavroy	....	foley recording mixer
Olivier Goinard	....	sound editor
Olivier Goinard	....	supervising sound editor
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Xavier Marsais	....	foley artist & post-synchronization recording
Henri Morelle	....	sound
Stéphane Morelle	....	sound assistant
Arnaud Rolland	....	assistant sound editor
Arnaud Rolland	....	sound editor
Philippe van Leer	....	foley artist (as Philippe Van Leer)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arnand Cousin	....	electrician: Paris
Lucilio Da Costa	....	electrician (as Lucilio Da Costa Pais)
Eric Lesage	....	electrician
Cyril Liberman	....	camera operator (as Cyrille Liberman)
Olivier Regent	....	chief electrician (as Olivier Régent)

Casting Department
Marion Touitou	....	casting: children
Isabelle Ungaro	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolores Gonzalez	....	wardrobe (as Dolorès Gonzalez)
Keti Palavandishvili	....	wardrobe (as Ketty Palavandichvili)
Filippa Russo	....	chief costumer

Editorial Department
Serge Anthony	....	grader
Julie Delord	....	assistant editor
Thomas Glaser	....	assistant editor
Bruno Patin	....	color timer

Music Department
Dato Evgenidze	....	composer: song "Poissons"
Vladimir Spivakov	....	musician: piano for Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel"

Other crew
Samantha Mialet	....	production assistant
Maria Moutot-Tolomio	....	location manager
Sandrine Pillon	....	production assistant
Els Rastelli	....	script supervisor
Rémi Roy	....	administrator
Martine Vidalenc	....	production assistant

Thanks
Jean-Louis Bertucelli	....	thanks (as Jean-Louis Bertuccelli)
Emmanuel Finkiel	....	thanks
Otar Iosseliani	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Les Films du Poisson
• arte France Cinéma (co-production)
• Entre Chien et Loup (co-production)
• Studio 99 Filmproduktion (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support)
• Télédistributeurs Wallons (support)
• Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) (in collaboration with)

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• CinemArt (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Toshiba Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Zeitgeist Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• esse&bi cinematografica distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Haut et Court
• Movienet (Germany)
• United King Films (Israel)

Other Companies

• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel et des Télédistributeurs Wallons  support (as Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel)
• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel et des Télédistributeurs Wallons  supported by (as Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel)
• Ministère de la Communauté Française de Belgique  support (as Communauté Française de Belgique)
• Ministère de la Communauté Française de Belgique  supported by (as Communauté Française de Belgique)

Also Known As:

Since Otar Left (Australia) (International: English title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

Georgian | French | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | Czech Republic:12

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Poisson

Accurate depiction of Post-Soviet decline and emotional regeneration

"Depuis qu'Otar est parti" is a very personal, I would even say, miniature story about very ordinary people, living in far less than glamorous conditions in faraway Georgia. If you are after that small-scale retrospective type of cinema art, you will enjoy the film because it portrays character development and relationship between three female protagonist very well - with deep insight and savvy.

But apart from being a solid and interesting drama that leads its characters through emotional debris to internal grit and, finally, to some glimpse of hope (for how, read other comments or better watch it), this film signifies for me, a native of the former USSR, a far broader and more intimate picture of the material and emotional decline in post-Soviet countries after the communist collapse.

Deteriorated poor Georgia and emotional confusion of the people was so authentic that I thought the film was shot by a native Georgian (Otar Iosselianni even crossed my mind) and was surprised to learn in the captions that a French director had actually made it. So real and natural was the depiction not only of the Georgian family's life with all those outdated interiors and city landscapes but also of the characters' psychological state, their behavior, their little skirmishes and caring relationship with each other. The film felt like being shot by a true Georgian, who loves and appreciates those quirky ways and habits of her fellow countrymen. The desolate state of mind, entanglement in those little ordinary lies looked also so familiar, reminding of the life in mid-90s Russia and today's reality in many backward provinces and republics of the former USSR.

I guess I should re-think my notion that only native artists can impart authenticity to the portrayal of national character and spirit on screen.

Kudos to Ms Bertucelli for capturing this murky but also hopeful Zeitgeist of the lost epoch!!!