On August 10, 2025, Gia Kancheli would have turned 90. On that day, a special screening of the documentary “Gia Kancheli: I Used to Hate the Clarinet” will take place in Toronto — a poignant film in which we hear the composer’s own voice, his music, his pauses, and his silence.
“Gia Kancheli: I Used to Hate the Clarinet” is more than just a musical portrait. It is an intimate story about a brilliant composer — the author of symphonic and chamber works, whose music became beloved by millions through unforgettable soundtracks for films such as Mimino, Hanuma, Kin-dza-dza, Passport, and Don’t Grieve.
Kancheli himself jokingly called his most recognizable melody — the theme from Mimino (“Chito-Gvrito”) — “venereal,” as it was too catchy and light for his taste. Yet it made his name known to a wider audience.
This is the last film made during Kancheli’s lifetime — a project he actively participated in, down to suggesting the final title. There is no narrator. Just Gia and his friends. Among them — renowned clarinetist Julian Milkis, to whom Kancheli once said: “You’re a charming young man… but I hate the clarinet.”
The special screening in Toronto will take place on August 10 — the day the composer would have turned 90.
The event will feature the film’s creative team and Julian Milkis, who recently returned from a concert tour across Ukraine with the music of Kancheli.
This is more than a screening.
It is a warm tribute — and a conversation that continues.
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