Mimino

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Mimino (Georgian: მიმინო) (Russian: Мимино) , is a 1977 comedy film by Soviet Georgian director Georgi Danelia produced by Mosfilm and Gruziya-film, starring Vakhtang Kikabidze and Frunzik Mkrtchyan. The Soviet era comedy won the 1977 Golden Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.

Georgian bush pilot Mimino (Vakhtang Kikabidze) works at small local airlines, flying helicopters between small villages. But he dreams of piloting large international airlines aircraft, so he decides to go to Moscow to follow his dream. There in a hotel he meets Armenian truck driver Roobik Khachikyan (Frunzik Mkrtchyan) who is given a place in that hotel by mistake instead of another Khachikyan (Professor), and they have a lot of adventures in Moscow.

Always amicable and open to people, Mimino does not feel at home in the big city. Nevertheless, he becomes a pilot of a supersonic jet liner, the Tupolev Tu-144, flying all over the world. But feeling homesick, he finally comes back to his native town of Telavi in Georgia, to his family and friends.

Mimino's real name in the film is Valentin Mizandari - his nickname 'Mimino' is the Georgian word for falcon.

Tropes used in Mimino include:


  • A Father to His Men: Givi Ivanovich, Mimino's boss, when he was civilian pilot in Tbilisi.
  • All Asians Are Alike: Parodied and inverted. In a Deleted Scene Rubik (Armenian, short, plump, with a Perma-Stubble) and Mimino (Georgian, Tall, Dark and Handsome, with a Porn Stache) ride a hotel elevator with the two inexplicably identical Japanese men. One of the Japanese tells to another: "These Russians are all alike"
  • Bad Liar: Rubik is hilarously bad at lying during the court scenes.
  • Cannot Spit It Out: Mimino was ready to go to the jail, but he wouldn't tell why exactly he attacked that man. Because he seduced his sister and fled, leaving her alone with a child.
  • Cool Plane: Tupolev Tu-144.
  • Hot-Blooded: protagonist. Once, he lashes out on stewardess who just asked him if he wants a glass of water, driving her to tears. He apologizes right away, though.
  • Memetic Mutation: the movie is quotable in its entirety.
  • Mistaken for Special Guest: Rubik gets his hotel room because he happens to have the same surname as famous endocrinologist. While Mimino himself got the same hotel room because he was told to pretend like he is endocrinologist too or otherwise he wouldn't get the room at all.
    • how Mimino got that hotel room: he calls someone who knows someone who can get him a hotel room. After he came home to couple's home who are connected enough, says his name, they arrange everything on the phone and he leaves, they both wonder how exactly he is related to them at all.
    • and yet another scene when airport official mistook Mimino for a son of his old friend who fought alongside him in WWII.
  • Naked First Impression