Zaza Urushadze was a renowned Georgian film director, screenwriter, and producer, born on October 30, 1965, and passed away on December 7, 2019.
Zaza graduated in 1988 from the directing department of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgian State University. He later served as the director of the Georgian National Film Centre from 2002 to 2004.
Zaza's notable film credits include his debut film "Here Comes the Dawn" (1998),which received international acclaim and was Georgia's official submission to the 72nd Academy Awards. His second full-length film "Three Houses" was released in 2008 and participated in several international film festivals.
In 2009, Zaza conceived the idea for his film "Tangerines" during a meeting with Artur Veeber and Tatjana Mühlbeier. The film, which became the first Estonian-Georgian co-production, was released in 2013 and garnered widespread critical acclaim. It won several awards, including the Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Audience Award for best film at the Warsaw International Film Festival.
Zaza's subsequent film, "The Confession" (also known as "The Monk"),was produced in 2016 and premiered in early 2017. The film tells the story of a film director-turned-priest whose life begins to unravel when he meets a local music teacher hiding a dark secret.
Throughout his career, Zaza received numerous accolades for his work, including nominations for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards and the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
