Genre: Documentary
Release Year: 2014
Runtime: 150
Language: English
Director: Tom Walters
Plot: Eight years in the making, BOTSO follows the astonishing life of Wachtang “Botso†Korisheli, a musician, sculptor, and teacher born in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. As a young boy, Korisheli was affectionately held by Josef Stalin not long before Stalin’s regime ordered the execution of his father, popular actor Platon Korisheli. Remarkably, Botso was allowed 20 minutes to see his father one last time, a meeting in which Platon communicated essential words of wisdom that still inspire Botso as he continues to teach at the age of 92. After enduring hardships under Stalin, Botso was captured by the Nazis, forced to march across Poland for six months, then was placed into prison camps until the war ended.
Eventually arriving to America with nothing, Botso furthered his musical training and became a beloved teacher in a small fishing village in California. Through his unique way of teaching, Korisheli went on to inspire generations of students, including some of the world’s premier musical artists. Former student and six-time Grammy Award winner Kent Nagano still refers to Botso as “my musical fatherâ€.
Filmed partly in the Republic of Georgia, the documentary also explores the rich culture of the ancient country that shaped Botso’s perspective.