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Tornike Bziava is a Georgian actor and director who began his career in theater acting and directing experimental films in the 2000s. He later expanded into international feature films co-produced with France.
In summer 2023, Netflix premiered the blockbuster EXTRACTION 2, where Tornike stars as David Radiani, one of the lead roles opposite Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake.
In 2018, his short film FISHING had its international premiere at the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, winning the Research Award as the third film at the festival. It previously received the Jury Prize at the Tbilisi International Film Festival and was produced by AMA Production / France.
In 2016, his film WAKE MAN premiered at Clermont-Ferrand ISFF and won the Golden Prometheus at the Tbilisi International Film Festival. Written and directed by Tornike, it stars Rezo Chani and Tornike Gogrichiani, produced by AMA Production / France.
Tornike has played leading roles in feature films such as A FOLD IN MY BLANKET by Zaza Rusadze, which was part of the official selection at the 63rd Berlin Film Festival in 2013, and KEEP SMILING, which premiered at the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012.
In 2012, he directed the short film NEST (35mm), produced by Ad Astra Films / France. The film features his father, Koka (Dr. Korneli) Bziava, in the lead role alongside Tornike Gogrichiani.
His 2010 short film THE APRIL CHILL (35mm), which he wrote and directed, won multiple awards. It was selected for over 40 festivals and received the International Jury Special Award at Clermont-Ferrand IFF 2010. NEST won the Audience Award at the Hong Kong IFF 2012 and the Jury Special Prize at Tbilisi IFF 2011. Both films were Georgian-French co-productions and were broadcast on France 3.
In 2009, Tornike worked as an actor and assistant director on R. Harlyn’s film 5 DAYS OF WAR, starring Andy Garcia and Val Kilmer.
In 2008, he played one of the leads in the feature film THREE HOUSES, directed by Zaza Urushadze, known for TANGERINES (2013). He also had a leading role in Thy Will Be Done (2007), directed by Revaz Chkeidze, a beloved Georgian filmmaker.
Between 2006 and 2007, Tornike received a Fulbright grant and a full scholarship from the Polish-American Freedom Foundation to study at Andrzej Wajda's Master School of Film Directing. In 2004, he interned on the set of THE WEATHERMAN, directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine, invited by his friend Phedon Papamichael.
In 2003-04, Tornike wrote, directed, and produced three experimental feature films: LISTEN TO CHOPIN (45 min), DELIRIUM (65 min), and Secret Man (17 min), starring Michael Meskhi. These works, inspired by his passion for absurd theater and influenced by playwrights like Eugène Ionesco, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, and others, as well as bio-mechanics theater directors such as Jerzy Grotowski, Jozef Szajna, and Tadeusz Kantor, won several awards.
His career also includes leading roles in short independent films, such as The DAY WENT (2004) by Hagen Keller, and directing over 15 commercials. Between 2002 and 2004, he acted in two Greek-Georgian theater productions: Heiner Müller's MEDEA MATERIAL and Michael Marmarinos' National Anthems, both directed by Michael Marmarinos. These performances, rooted in theater bio-mechanics, were successfully staged in Athens and at the Moscow Theatrical Olympics.
In 2001, he performed as Alfred Doolittle in PYGMALION at the Marjanishvili State Theater and was awarded best post-graduate actor of the year. In 2000, he performed Shakespearean poetry at Vanessa Redgrave's birthday celebration at the National Theater in London.
Tornike Bziava is the grandson of renowned Georgian film director Siko Dolidze and son of director Keti Dolidze, founder and artistic director of the GIFT International Theater Festival in Tbilisi, as well as founder and artistic director of Michael Tumanishvili's Film Actor's Theater. He also appeared as a child actor in several feature films during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
