Mimino (1977)

Local Georgian pilot Mimino dreams of flying airplanes for major international airlines. To realize his aspirations, he goes to Moscow where he encounters a fellow comrade from the Caucasus, the Armenian Rubik. Many misadventures ensue.

Director:

Georgiy Daneliya

Writers:

Revaz Gabriadze, Viktoriya Tokareva

Stars:

Vakhtang Kikabidze, Mher Mkrtchyan, Elena Proklova

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Vakhtang Kikabidze	...	Valiko 'Mimino' Mizandari (as Buba Kikabidze)
Mher Mkrtchyan	...	Ruben 'Rubik' Khachikyan (as Frunzik Mkrtchyan)
Elena Proklova	...	Larisa Komarova
Evgeniy Leonov	...	Ivan Volokhov
Kote Daushvili	...	Grandfather (as Konstantin Daushvili)
Ruslan Mikaberidze	...	Givi Ivanovich Goglidze
Zakro Sakhvadze	...	Varlaam
Marina Dyuzheva	...	Advocate Svetlana Georgievna (as Mariya Dyuzheva)
Rusiko Morcheladze	...	Lali
Archil Gomiashvili	...	Nugzar Papishvili
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aleksey Alekseev	...	Prosecutor
Vladimir Basov	...	Rodion Sinitsyn
Zeinab Botsvadze	...	Ekaterina 'Kato' Mizandari (as Z. Butsvadze)
Borislav Brondukov	...	Man Weighing Self before the Flight (as B.Brondukov)
Vasili Chkhaidze	...	Aristofan

Storyline

Pilot Mimino works at small local airlines in Telavi, Georgia, flying helicopters between small villages. He dreams of piloting large planes for major international airlines, so he goes to Moscow for refresher courses. There in a hotel he meets truck driver Rubik from Dilijan, Armenia who is given a place in that hotel by mistake. Together they have many adventures in Moscow. However, both are homesick and long for their family, friends, and hometowns in the Caucasus.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | helicopter | georgian | hotel | armenia | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Georgiy Daneliya asked Giya Kancheli to write a song like "Yesterday" by The Beatles for the film and Kancheli agreed but wrote the song "Chito-gvrito" that was nothing like "Yesterday". Nevertheless, Daneliya accepted it. "Prikhodit den, ukhodit den" (in Russian) and "Chito-gvrito" (in Georgian), the two songs used in the opening credits, were performed by star Vakhtang Kikabidze himself. The songs from the film became hits once the film was released.

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Goofs

When Mimino is talking to the old woman besides his helicopter on the plateau the type of the helicopter (riveted to no-riveted body) and the size and shape of the mountains seen in the background change between the shots.

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Quotes

Volokhov: What's your surname?
Valentin Mizandari: What do you care?
Volokhov: Mizandari?
Valentin Mizandari: Mizandari.

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Alternate Versions

The premiere version that was shown on the Moscow International Film Festival was cut by the scene in which Valiko is calling an immigrant in Tel Aviv by mistake. The immigration topic was a political issue and the international public wasn't supposed to see it. The festival version was the only cut print (which later has been reportedly destroyed by the director); the theatrical release was uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Another Side of the Moon (1984)

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Soundtracks

Ov, sirun, sirun...
(uncredited)
Armenian folk song
Third song sung in the restaurant

User Reviews

The best movie ever made

No movie has ever captured so well the feelings of love and sorrow, pride and fairness as this one. And, mind you, not through the stupid didactics or a trivial calculatable formula. No other movie has such a synergy of fundamental humanity ideas, screenplay, directon, actors performance, music and cinematography.

This movie is a peak for the most of its participants - never again they've achieved such an excellence!

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Georgian Russian Armenian English

Release Date:

27 March 1978 (Soviet Union)

Also Known As:

Мимино

Filming Locations:

Novyi Arbat, Moscow, Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Georgian-Film, Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1