Personal Particulars:
Born on 25th November 1960.
In 1985, graduated from Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema.
At present, one of the managers of the Television and Radio Department of Georgia, where he began to work in 1977.

Characterization:

Family members, colleagues and friends rarely characterize a person so unanimously. Basic features of his character were still identified during our conversation with them – calm, balanced, tidy, tasteful, extremely attentive, loyal to staff.

I have a great dislike when a respondent’s name is not disclosed at the very beginning of an article. But, in this very case, I wanted you to guess whom I was talking about, like it happens in one of the programs of the studio "Maestro". However, this idea will not work due to the specific features of this magazine.
The name of the man I am talking about is Giorgi Ebralidze, Art Director of Georgia’s Television and Radio Department, a film director. He is the initiator of many interesting innovations – Channel Two, Studio "Maestro", the modification of Channel One, Project "Ultra", "EPICA" days in Tbilisi. He is a great master of advertisements – "Sigma Bank", "Magti GSM" and the Presidential election clips. He is a threefold prizewinner of the "Mana" festival. In short, this is all Giorgi Ebralidze’s "fault" ("fault" in Georgian is "brali" which is in his surname). And why this is so, you will learn very soon…

"…To be a film director? Difficult to say… I decided to become one at the last moment. I wanted to be an art critic or a biologist. It is true that because of my father (Djumber Ebralidze, a documentary film director) and my grandfather (Leo Esakia, his father’s uncle, a famous Georgian film director and public figure), most of my childhood was spent in the environment of cinema and television. I still did not think of becoming a film director. I remember how my father used to take me to the shooting of "Bashi-Achuki". I remember visiting my grandfather’s place where I rummaged through props that remained after shooting an old film – bows and arrows, sabres and spears, all were a delight to my eye. In short, my father followed his uncle and I followed my father. Now, there are three film directors in the family. My wife however, Nino, is a drama director and the most important job for her now is to raise Sandro.

I have known Nino for more than 20 years. We met each other in the television industry. Nino came to the Television Theatre. At that time, the youth was gathered around Temur Chkheidze and they staged many interesting television films and plays. I was an assistant. I made friends with Nino and, as time went by, this feeling became deeper and more precious for me…"

Nino: "Of course I guessed… We were taught by Mikheil Tumanishvili, how a person looks at you, and looks at others… Of course I felt he was in love, but I tried to keep our relationship as it was before. After some time, when we were in love, I tried to delay our marriage. Since my childhood I had been very independent and the prospect of getting married did not attract me too much. It was a silly mistake… Now, I regret spending each of those years without Giorgi and Sandro.

Although there are three film directors in the family, drama and acting are still the most important areas for me.  Documentary films – for Dzumber, and for Giorgi…

For Giorgi – it is television.

"I started to work in the television industry immediately after finishing school.

I then entered the Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema in Leningrad. I was studying without so to say "departing" from the business. Students would arrive in Leningrad during examinations and work there selflessly from day to night. In the first half of the day, we mastered skills in artistry, in the evening we went to the television studio. One of the leading television studios of the Soviet Union was in Leningrad. It was in Leningrad that I shot a ten-minute course film "Gelicon" where Mamuka Kikaleishvili was playing a role.

It was the mid eighties. Waves of the national movement started…

A period of immense and important changes began in our lives.

We re-discovered Ilya Chavchavadze. I produced a modernized film-play or literary composition according to his publications. It turned out to be a very bold and timely work. It was followed by a big reaction. Then there was a journalist’s investigation of Ilya’s assassination. In short, the changes in life pushed me into doing something new."

This is Channel Two!

"On Channel Two, they mainly showed lectures for leavers. The "City at Night" was an indication of the changes to come for the Channel. It was the time when no clips of that sort were shown on TV. However, I do not want to call it a clip. It was rather a musical film presented in a very original way, it was very popular. Because of this, it was thought that our group would be capable of renewing Channel Two programs. The course of lectures was gradually replaced with films, cartoons, and then…"

Then an announcer appeared in the Channel Two television broadcast.  This new idea destroyed the stereotype image of the announcer that for a long time was deeply established in the Soviet television. It appeared to be unacceptable for some persons.  It started as follows:

“Good evening! This is Channel Two. I am Sergi Gvardjaladze. Stay with us!”

Do you remember it?

"The initial reaction was terrible. They started calling us, scolding and calling us names. However, within one month Sergi became super-popular. From 1991, Channel Two became richer with new programs. The first new program was "Pa-Seans", a parody performance. Mamuka Glonti and myself had common friends in the Polytechnical Institute. We used to arrange competitions for students together and made friends with each other there. Mamuka appeared to have a very good sense of humor, an amazing ability to compose humorous sketches. We formed a group from the Students’ Theatre of the Polytechnical Institute and since then, it was difficult to imagine Channel Two without "Pa-Seans". This was soon followed by "The First Shot", "Orator", "Dvrita TV"; then – "Mzera", "Calendar"…

In 1996, "Mana", the first television festival was held and Channel Two won the grand prize. Some other programs also took prizes. Authors of programs were also rewarded and of course, the Channel Two film director, Giorgi Ebralidze, was among them.

"At that time I was bearded, rather young and thin. I have been wearing glasses since my childhood."

Childhood

"I was a very calm and reserved child, always fiddling. I was not too fond of reading; I always preferred to listen to other peoples’ stories and used to picture them as films. It was boring for me to read volumes, although my favourite book was the "Three Musketeers". Maybe this was the reason for me to start fencing. I was quite a promising sportsman, but I stopped, I was fully engrossed in television."

Nino: "I have not seen much of Giorgi lately as he works 24 hours. He often comes home annoyed. He has a big emotional workload at work. Recently, many things were changed there. Changes are followed by pain… When you had been cooperating with people for more than twenty years… George is very much concerned about it. In general, he is a very sensitive man. It is easy to hurt his heart, his patience is boundless, he seems to have soft character but in his work… He nods approval but still does what he wants to do…"

Who am I

"I am a television film director. Little forms, short expressions of ideas are more acceptable for me."

"When somebody interferes in my affairs…? No, it does not annoy me. Sometimes it could even be of help to me. You should allow a man to say what he wants, maybe he is saying the right thing, and if you do not approve it, you won’t take it into account.

I suppose I am very calm and balanced. I do not like to show myself, this is not the aim of my activity. In me I can appreciate my own taste, I cannot praise my work in front of others and impose it on them. If I don’t like something and others are praising me, this praise makes me suspicious. Criticism never offends me, even if it is groundless. Just the opposite, it shows that I am right."

Suddenly a friend of mine, my colleague, "jumps" into the interview:

Giorgi is a "cool" guy, a very quiet person. These are the features I like in him. We can criticize each other. When Giorgi is silent, it can be even worse than criticism. If he does not rebuke me that means that things are going wrong…"

Giorgi is listening to this friend with a smile, and continues:

"I have a hidden sense of humour. I cannot say that I entertain people and force them to have fun, of course not. Sometimes it works. I can be a master of ceremony, although I always like to stand aside. I’d rather listen to others and enjoy myself with their humour. I don’t like attention, I have a complex about it…

I don’t have too many friends, but those who are with me they stay forever. I relax with my childhood friends. None of them are related to television. In business relations I appreciate honesty and professionalism."

Mamuka, Levan and Myself

"Mamuka Glonti, Levan Chikvaidze and myself founded the studio "Maestro". To use the market economy terminology, we are the owners.  At times, when we are not enjoying it at the Channel we can go to another one. I often say that "Maestro" is another child of mine. When I saw that my capabilities on Channel Two were exhausted, the idea of creating "Maestro" was born. Those who were with me on Channel Two, the entire group, the entire "Pa-Seans" moved to "Maestro". Now I have work that keeps me too busy and I have little time for "Maestro", however, I also have a new baby  – "Ultra".

Mikho, Zura and I

"If you are a professional and want to do something, you can do it at any time and in any situation. Much of it depends on relationships. The "EPICA" festival for example, Mikho Kochakidze made friends with Maxim Plyusnin who is a representative of "EPICA" in the CIS countries. Maxim provided us with adverts. Mikho is a leader of the "Ultra" project and shows the best adverts on TV. Mikho Kochakidze, Zura Maghalashvili and I are also members of the group "Ultra". This year, the "EPICA" days in Tbilisi were held under the umbrella of  "Ultra". Mr. Andrew Rowlins, the President of European Advertisements, came to Tbilisi and brought films from the "EPICA" fund with him.  However, it would have been impossible to organize and hold the festival without the help of Magti GSM, our general sponsor. By the way, when we applied to Gia Jokhtaberidze for help, he did not hesitate even for a second. He immediately sensed that it would be very helpful for the industry and good business and agreed to our proposal. As for Manana Shevardnadze, she is a real professional. She immediately grasped the idea and so "Georgian TV Film Company" joined the project, becoming one of our sponsors. A good job was done. The three days of festival had such a big effect that we decided to arrange a Caucasus Festival. We want ads from the Caucasus to be gathered together in Tbilisi and then sent on to International festivals. We intend to establish an Advertisement College, to open an Advertisement Museum. Let’s see…"

"To Put a Long Story Short…"

"Idea, humour, laconism are most important things in adverts. I give priority to performance-like, rich-in-content adverts.

Some 20 years ago, using a narrow film, I produced an advert about one of the detergents from Georgia. I utilized some original methods. It turned to be very naïve, but people still liked it. Now, I want to find similar adverts but I can’t.

Then there was "Sigma Bank" – the first serious play advertisement, with a serious budget.  Then of course, Magti GSM’s clips. I filmed all of them together with Neostudio. I like "Pitchers" that won prizes at the "EPICA" Festival held in Tbilisi and Kiev. Now it is "going" to Helsinki.
My most serious task was to work on the adverts relating to the presidential election. It was a great honour for me. Imagine, you are assigned to advertise a man who is going to be the "first person" in the country. I was a little bit scared, as I was afraid of failing. If that happened, what could I do?

I collected the archive materials filmed on "Betacam" in Georgia and abroad, shot-by-shot. Then I managed to visit Eduard Shevardnadze’s apartment and rummaged through his photo album. We filmed the selected photos. It was there that I drank some wax vodka from the President’s "fund", we had some Khinkali (dumplings) as well."

Nino: "I want Giorgi to have more time for us, for his creative work…"

"I try to be a good husband, but it does not work, I am in the Television studio from morning till night. Sometimes, when I have a "window" I somehow manage to take Sandro for a walk. The other day, we went to MacDonald’s, then to the Vere Park attraction. I looked at him and thought that two years ago he wasn’t even born and then suddenly he materialized (he smiles). Relations with Sandro are a great pleasure for me. Nino says to him sometimes, "I have been waiting for you quite a while, now it’s your turn".

First, I am a film director and I want to satisfy my creative desire. I am not going to stay on this position in the television industry for a long period of time. If you are here you should dedicate all your efforts to it. But I want to shoot a film, make some adverts and, if possible, initiate many new and interesting works."

Let’s look forward to implementing the original ideas of Giorgi Ebralidze, this "Ultra-Epical" "Arch-Maestro" because ahead is a life that is full of many interesting events in the heart of which television broadcast will always remain.

 NANA ZURABISHVILI