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Production is well underway on Botso: The Passion of Music, The Power of Art, a feature-length non-profit documentary film on the life and legacy of Dr. Wachtang "Botso" Korisheli.

Botso's story has become legendary -- including a wise goodbye from his famous father just before the latter's sudden execution in the Soviet Union, then Botso's own imprisonment under the regimes of both Stalin and Hitler.

Botso's new life eventually brought him to Morro Bay, a small coastal village in California, where he taught and inspired thousands of children on not just how to become great musicians and artists, but how to become remarkable human beings.

The film will explore the fascinating life and philosophy of Dr. Korisheli, including the potent themes of human resilience and what inspires the creative process. Also featured will be in-depth interviews with Botso; his colleagues and members of his family, as well as current and former students -- including five-time Grammy Award winner Kent Nagano. A team of Central Coast and Georgian filmmakers spent two weeks on location in the Republic of Georgia during July of 2007. There, they captured the unique and vibrant culture of Botso's birthplace, and examined the brutal challenges he and his family faced in this former Soviet province. Artistic recreations, archival photographs and vintage movie clips will be seamlessly blended into the final digital editing process.

The film will be marketed to a wide audience. Submission to prominent international film festivals, such as Telluride, Sundance and Venice, will be followed by distribution to theatres nationwide that specialize in independent film. In today's movie market, documentaries have never been hotter. The movie will later be made available to educators, libraries, houses of worship and motivational workshops, as well as art and music schools.

Completion of filming and editing is slated for Spring 2009. The project is a joint effort of Cinema House Films, the San Luis Obispo Symphony and Aspect Studios.

All profits from the distribution of this film go toward an endowment fund that benefits young musicians.

This nonprofit theatrical documentary is scheduled for release in Spring 2009.

Georgia Trailer

© 2008
Aspect Studios
Cinema House Films
San Luis Obispo Symphony