Celebrated Georgian filmmaker Otar Iosseliani (“Falling Leaves”/”Aprili”/”Pastorale”) is the cowriter and director of this whimsical comedy-drama that explores a young adult trying to come to terms with his hectic and confusing lifestyle. It’s a comical portrait of a self-absorbed tympanist, Gia (Gela Kandelaki), who is always on the run and finds himself in hot water with the conductor of his state-controlled orchestra because of his constant tardiness. Gia lives in Tbilisi, Georgia, with his widowed elderly mother, in a small apartment. Following his activities for a whole day can make one dizzy keeping up with the nonsense that keeps him harried and always in a rush to keep an appointment, chat up a lady, to stop off to drink with the boys, take an injured wrestler friend to see his doctor friend, and play the piano at his aunt’s party and in the same evening sing with his drunken chums at a restaurant. All Gia’s hustle and bustle seems to be getting him nowhere, as the free-spirit upsets the Soviet bosses and they come down on him for being irresponsible. In the end, he pays the ultimate price for not watching where he’s going. This lazy idler who gets by on his charm and strikes a sweet chord with many of the regular Georgian citizens as an alright sort of guy, nevertheless his characterization has upset the Soviet authorities. They banned this film, considering his loose behavior a slap in their Red faces and to their work ethic. It led eventually to this most Georgian of directors exile to Paris and cinema freedom.