Georgiy Daneliya

Georgiy Daneliya was born in Tbilisi into a Georgian family. His father Nikolai Dmitrievich Danelia (1902–1981) came from peasants. He moved to Moscow following the October Revolution, finished the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering and joined Mosmetrostroy where he spent the rest of his life working as an engineer and a manager at different levels. Georgiy's mother Maria Ivlianovna Anjaparidze (1905–1980) belonged to a noble Anjaparidze family known since the 13th century and recognized by the Russian Empire in 1880. She worked as a film director, a second unit director and an assistant director at the Tbilisi Film Studio and Mosfilm. Her sister (Daneliya's aunt) Veriko Anjaparidze was a popular Georgian stage and cinema actress who was married to Mikheil Chiaureli, a prominent Soviet film director. Their daughter Sofiko Chiaureli was also a famous actress who later starred in Daneliya's comedy ''Don't Grieve'' along with her mother. A year after Daneliya's birth his family moved to Moscow where he grew up and entered the primary school. By the time the Great Patriotic War started, he and his mother were staying with their relatives in Tbilisi where they spent the next two years. His father was sent to the front line to build underground command and control centers. He didn't take part in battles, but was still awarded the rank of major general for his work. In 1943 the family reunited back in Moscow. ==Career==

Daneliya started his career by playing episodic roles in several movies directed by his uncle Mikheil Chiaureli. In 1955 he graduated from the Moscow Architecture Institute and worked as an architect for the next two years. In 1956 the Higher Director's Courses were founded at the Mosfilm Studio, and Daneliya decided to enter them. His course was led by Mikhail Kalatozov, also a good friend of his mother. He graduated in 1959 and joined Mosfilm the same year. To avoid censorship, Danelia paid a visit to Vladimir Baskakov, one of the head officials at the State Committee for Cinematography, and assured him they had nothing tricky on their minds. After that the work became "easy, fast and fun". In Gentlemen of Fortune (1971) Daneliya acted as a creative director and a screenwriter. Gentlemen of Fortune gathered 65 million viewers on the year of release and became the 12th most viewed Soviet film, while Afonya was seen by 62.2 million people, reaching the 15th place. Mimino won the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival. The Autumn Marathon received the Golden Shell at the 1979 San Sebastián International Film Festival as well as two Pasinetti Awards at the 36th Venice International Film Festival. In 1976 he was a member of the jury at the 26th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1986 Daneliya directed a cult classic sci-fi film Kin-dza-dza!. More recently, he was involved in an animation project Ku! Kin-dza-dza! (a straight remake of his earlier work Kin-dza-dza!) and was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts. Between 2003 and 2015 he also published a trilogy of memoirs entitled "A Passenger Without a Ticket", "Toasted Drains To the Dregs" and "The Cat Is Gone, But the Smile Is Left". They are written in a typical Danelian manner, mixing laugh-out-loud anecdotes with some sad memories and lyrical life stories. ==Personal life==

Daneliya was officially married two times. His first wife (1951–1956) was Irina Ginzburg, a lawyer, daughter of a high-ranking Soviet official Semyon Ginzburg, at the time a Deputy Minister of Oil Industry of the USSR. They had a daughter Svetlana Daneliya who also became a lawyer. Between 1957 and 1984 Daneliya lived in a civil union with an acclaimed Russian actress Lyubov Sergeyevna Sokolova who appeared in a number of his movies. They had a son Nikolai Sokolov-Daneliya (1959–1985), a film director and a poet who died at the age of 26 following an "accident". Some claimed it was a drug overdose. Shortly before his death Daneliya left the family for Galina Ivanovna Yurkova (born 1944), a film director and his regular collaborator since then. He adopted her son Kirill (born 1968) and gave him his surname; Kirill became an artist. Daneliya has six grandchildren. In 1980, Georgiy Daneliya survived a clinical death after being diagnosed with peritonitis and spent a year in hospital. In his final years, he rarely left his apartment. According to his wife Galina Yurkova-Daneliya, he had been suffering from a progressing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for many years. ==Trademarks==

Similar to Leonid Gaidai and Eldar Ryazanov, Daneliya co-wrote screenplays to the majority of his movies (sometimes uncredited) and introduced many distinguishing trademarks in the process. After Thirty Three (1965) Yevgeny Leonov turned into his close friend and "a lucky charm". ==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) (1964) • Thirty Three (Тридцать три) (1965) • ''Don't Grieve'' (Не горюй!) (1968) • 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) ==Bibliography==

;Cannes Film Festival • Winner in the category Special mention ribbons young filmmakers – 1964 – I Step Through Moscow ;Nika Award • 1987 – The movie Kin-dza-dza • 1991 – nominated for "Best Screenplay" in the film Passport • 2008 – For the honour and dignity ;Kinotavr • 1996 – Sochi, the Special Jury Prize, the movie Eagle and Tails • 1999 – Sochi, Russian President Award "for outstanding contribution to the development of Russian cinema" • 2000 – Sochi, the winner in the category of "President's Council Award", for the movie Fortune ;All-Union Film Festival • 1964 – Diploma of the Komsomol, for the movie I Walk around Moscow • 1976 – Frunze, Special Jury Prize for Best Director, Film Afonya • 1980 – Dushanbe, the main prize, the film Autumn Marathon ;Moscow International Film Festival • 1960 – Carlsbad, Grand Prize "Crystal Globe", the film Sergei • 1964 – Cannes, Winner of 'Special Mention ribbons of young directors, a film I Step Through Moscow • 1994 – Milan, the main prize, the film I Step Through Moscow • 1966 – Rome, the Special Prize of the Festival, the film I Step Through Moscow • 1970 – Mardel Plata, Special Jury Prize "Condor", the film Do not worry! • 1970 – Cartagena, Award for Best Actor, the film Do not worry! • 1975 – Tashkent, the main prize, the film Afonya • 1977 – Moscow, the main prize, the film Mimino • 1979 – Avelino, prize "Gold Lacheno" movie Mimino • 1979 – Venice Prize FIPRESCI, film Autumn Marathon • 1979 – San Sebastian, the main prize "Big Gold Sink", film Autumn Marathon • 1980 – Carlsbad, Prize of Soviet-Bulgarian friendship, the film Autumn Marathon • 1987 – Madrid, Special Jury Prize, the movie Kin-dza-dza • 1987 – Rio de Janeiro, a special jury prize, the movie Kin-dza-dza • 1987 – Porto, Special Jury Prize, the movie Kin-dza-dza • 1990 – Cannes, Spetsilny prize, the film Passport • 1993 – Rimini, The Prize "Amarcord", the movie Anastasia • 1996 – Rome Prize "Amarcord", the film Passport • 1996 – Warne, "Love and passion," the main prize, the movie Eagle and Tails • 1997 – St. Petersburg, the "Golden Ostap", nominated for "The Legend" ;KF "Golden Duke" • 1990 – Odessa, Grand Prix, the film Passport ;ICF comedy films • 1980 – Chamrousse, the main prize, the film Autumn Marathon • 1981 – Gabrovo, Special Award, the film Autumn Marathon ;International review of films in Acapulco • 1960 – Prize "Golden Head of Palenque", film Sergei ;"Golden laurel wreath" the Foundation David Oliver O. Selznick • 1961 – film Sergei ;"Golden Aries" • 1995 – "Man Film of the Year" ;State Prize of the Russian Federation • 1996 – movie Anastasia • 1996 – movie Heads and Tails • 1996 – film Passport ;CCF VC • 1978 – Yerevan, prize for best comedy film, film Mimino ;USSR State Prize • 1978 – The film Mimino ;State Prize of the RSFSR Vasiliev brothers • 1981 – film Autumn Marathon ;Prize "The Wanderer" • 2002 – St. Petersburg, nominated for "The Legend of fantastic cinema" ;Award "Triumph" • 2002 ;KF "Viva Cinema of Russia!" • 2005 – St. Petersburg prize "Unfading viewers love" ;Golden Eagle Award • 2005 – "For loyalty to the profession" ;MF debut film "The Spirit of Fire" • 2006 – The main prize – "Golden Taiga", "For his contribution to cinema" ;State Awards • Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1965) • People's Artist of the RSFSR (1974) • People's Artist of the USSR (1989) on presentation of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class (9 September 2010) • Order "For Merit to the Fatherland": • 2nd class (25 August 2010) – for outstanding contribution to the development of the domestic art of film and many years of creative activity • 3rd class (29 August 2000) – for his great personal contribution to the development of cinema art • USSR State Prize (1978) – for the film Mimino (1977) • Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR (1981) • Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (1985) • State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of cinema in 1996 (29 May 1997) – for the feature films Passport, Anastasia, The Eagle and Tails • Order of the Badge of Honour • Order of the Red Banner of Labour • Commander of the Order of Honour (Georgia) (2000) • Russian President's Award for his contribution to cinema • Honorary Member of Russian Academy of Arts • Member of the ==Notes==