Tamar Shavgulidze was born in Tbilisi. She’s made several shorts and one feature; her projects have won competitions at the National Film Center four times, and she also has been a jury member in the Film Center’s short film competitions.
“Comets” will premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
TS: It is a story about unconditional love.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
TS: I rarely think about love, but during that period, I did. I thought of a human being whose feelings can survive through time. In the end, I arrived to the opinion that I was able to write a script and make a film about such human beings.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
TS: I am sorry, but I don’t and I can’t think about it.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
TS: I was supposed to write a script about two humans who love each other. Then I had to believe in this story myself. After that, make the actors believe in it. However, the biggest and the most interesting challenge was interaction with the actors.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
TS: I participated and won the annual contest of the Georgian National Film Center for feature film competition and also got support from Georgian studio Jaga Grip with technical equipment
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
TS: My father was a medical doctor. He had a very difficult job and would often come home exhausted. For relaxation, he would sit by the TV set and watch action movies. He said he liked them because he did not have to think watching them. I would sit next to him and watch the films together. We especially liked the ones with Bruce Lee. It was at that time that I chose this world.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
TS: In the professional sense, the best advice was given by my music and sound teacher, Giorgi Tsintsadze. He taught me to be particularly attentive towards sounds while making a film. Another piece of valuable advice came from Carl Theodor Dreyer, “Nothing in the world can be compared to the human face. It is a land one can never tire of exploring.”
Although I have never been given bad advice, I have been given bad examples by some filmmakers who, in my opinion, showed wrong treatment towards their group members, whose role and merit is essential.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
TS: In general, I don’t like giving advice to people.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
TS: The most impressive film for me was Chantal Akerman’s “I, You, He, She.” I remember I was astonished by her individual vision and the form of the film. And the love scene remains one of the best ever.
