Leila Abashidze was born on August 1, 1929 in Tbilisi – died 2018 Tbilisi. Her father worked in Russia he was a high functionary, repressions held against him made him go to live the other place. Leila’s mother wanted to be near to her husband, she went to Siberia to work as a medicine worker and took her daughter with her.
Leila Abashidze is the Georgian actress, film director and scrip writer. In 1951 she graduated from Tbilisi Rustaveli theatre institutes faculty of drama. In 1966 in Siko Dolidze’s film “Meeting with the past” she received the first prize for the best woman role performance in Leningrad union festival. Together with Konstantine Pipinashvili she wrote the scenario “Expectation” (1970) and together with Shota and Nodar Managadze made it a movies masterpiece. She is the scenario author of “Towers are silent” (1978), the film “Tbilisi, Paris, Tbilisi” scenario author and film director.
From 1958 she is a cineastes union member. Her very first film was “Kajana”, she played the role of Kato, her partner was Nato Vachnadze. then the future movies star was only eight years old. Mrs. Leila remembers how she received the role: “I was 8 years old, I did not speak Georgian well, because the elementary education I received in Russia, we just came back to Georgia.
My father’s sister – my aunt joyfully told us that there was announcement for film shooting in the newspaper – they were looking for vivid, playful little girl, I was very frolicsome those times. They did not even ask my opinion, there was no sense, because I did not know what the film was, what the movie was.
They took me to the trials, I had a terrible haircut, bad clothes, I was very funny child. I entered the room and saw about twenty pretty girls with bows and beautiful hair curls and I felt myself redundant. I stood near the wall. Assistant came and said: you can go girl. in the old studio there was an old stair with iron banisters, I sat on it and went down, singing something, suddenly I fell on some man’s hands. he looked surprised, asked me from where I was coming. I told him I was coming from there. What did you do there/ he asked me again.
I told him that I wanted to play in the movies, but they did not like me, so I went away. do you want to play in the movie? – he asked me. I said – very, very much! I said it with so much passion that he smiled, took my hand and told me to go with him.
He was the creative director of the film Konstantine Pipinashvili. he took me to the same room, asked me whether I had brother or sister. I told him I had two brothers. he said – I must tell you bad thing – you brother is deafened – he said. – which one – I asked in a very tragically manner. The aunt said the elder one I took my hand to my head and began to cry severely, nobody could stop m, I was crying, tears were dropping down. Finally, they told me it was a trial and they took me to play the role”.
… The orphan, poor girl without patronage entered the movies world with her artistic talent and created the unforgettable roles. Leila Abashidze became famous by her comedy characters in films: Dragonfly (Marine 1954) and Abezara (Lia 1957). The film Dragonfly saw the world screens, the actress was a great success.
The soviet press assessed her very much. In the international scale the resonance was the same. The dragon was the first color comedy film in the depressive USSR. The film was issued when the Stalin époque came to the end. People wanted to see on the screen the laugh and happiness. Leila’s naughty smiles, attractiveness, pleasant appearance went to the hall and made the public see the film enchanted.
her one look was enough to say everything. This is characteristic to the real artists only. The talented actress lived in the époque of severe censorship, those time s the woman roles were: kolkhoz woman, milkmaid, spinner, labor hero, etc. later, Eldar Riazanov declared, that they were forced to shoot Barbara Brilska in the “Twist of fate”, because in the Russian cineastes area there was not the real womanish roles tradition.
Leila Abashidze created very womanish roles in the movies – her own image – almost in every film she plays herself. In such a closed country that the USSR was, it was difficult to play yourself. Her personages were very purposeful and beloved women. All her heroes reach to the goals. The woman, who can drive a car, put on the coverall and ride the horse…
… The film director Rezo Chkheidze declared, that Leila Abashidze was always the face of the Georgian character, faith and nationality. Successful roles of Mrs. Leila: Kato (Kajana), Iuta (Golden roote), Nazibrola (Akaki cradle), girl with flowers (Keto and Kote), Nino (Summer in Sakeni), Lela (They came down from mountain), Marine (Dragonfly), Manana (Our yard), Lia (Abezara), Mzia (Where is your happiness, Mzia?), Maia (Maia Tskhneteli), Dagmara (I will dance – in Azerbaijanfilm), Dzidzia (Khevisberi Gocha), Nino (Meeting with the past), Lali – Mzevinari (Meeting in mountains), Ketevani (Expectance), Vardisakhari (Right hand of the master), Lia (Walking in Tbilisi), Tea Shervashidze (Tbilisi, Paris, Tbilisi)…
Mrs. Leila is the honored artist of Georgia, the Georgian public artist, ChechnyaIngush public artist, she is awarded the labor red flag order; for the woman role in the film Meeting with the past she took the first prize (Leningrad allunion festival, 1968), on the II world festival the I prize owner (Tokyo, 1997). Leila Abashidze honor star is opened in front of the Rustaveli movies theatre.