The Suram Fortress

Ivan Nikolaevich Perestiani (also Ivane, Georgian: ივანე პერესტიანი; Russian: Иван Николаевич Перестиани; 13 April [O.S. 1 April] 1870 — 14 May 1959) was a film director, script-writer and actor, People’s Artist of the Georgian SSR (1949). He was an ethnic Greek, his original name being Giannis Nikolas Perestianis.

Ivan Perestiani was born in the city of Taganrog into the family of Nikolay Afanasievich Perestiani on April 13, 1870. His first actor’s experience was onstage of Taganrog Theatre under name of Ivan Nevedomov in 1886. The first movie roles played by Perestiani were Grif starogo bortsa aka Griffon of an Old Warrior and Zhizn za zhizn aka A Life for a Life in 1916. During Russian Civil War, he wrote scenario for several short films.

In 1920 Ivan Perestiani moved to Tbilisi, becoming one of the founding fathers of Georgian cinematography. In 1921, he staged the first Soviet Georgian historical and revolutionary film Arsen Jorjiashvili aka The Murder of General Gryaznov, where he also played the role of Vorontsov-Dashkov. The silent black-and-white movie Tsiteli eshmakunebi (Russian title Krasnye dyavolyata (Little Red Devils)) that he staged in 1923 basing on the novel by Pavel Blyakhin is considered as one of his best film director’s works.

Perestiani worked several year at Odessa Cinema Studio, Armenfilm studio, and finally returned to Tbilisi in 1939. For his achievements he was awarded with three orders and the honorary title of People’s Artist of the Georgian SSR in 1949. He died in Moscow on May 14, 1959. —Wikipedia