Georgian Films Screening, Spring 2018

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April/May/June 2018

by Colin Evans

Georgian Films screening started in April and was held at the Community Cinema in Easton, known as The Pickle Factory, All Hallows Road, Bristol, BS5 0HH.

Perhaps the greatest complement we can pay to Georgian cinema is that it isn’t Hollywood! There are no big budgets so no stars, just actors and directors combining to create amazingly effective ensemble scenes that catch the essence of the people and the country. If there is one consistent element it is Georgia itself and in these three films we hope to show the country in all its diversity.

thevillage

First film shown in April was The Village, director Levan Tutberidze, 2012, 112 minutes. We start in the breath-taking Caucasus mountains. A young Georgian academic takes his British girlfriend with him on a research project to a remote village. They hope to stabilise their shaky relationship but her urban idealism is at odds with the traditions that dominate in an isolated rural community of mostly older people because the younger generation have left for a more progressive life in the cities. The young couple discover that there is a dark side to this world in spite of the idyllic setting.

Salt White, director Keti Machavariani, 2011, 80 minutes, was shown in May.
Set in the Black Sea resort of Batumi, a fine example of post-Soviet bling, this film captures the ennui of a seaside community of drifters. With no particular plot or storyline it is the characters themselves that seek our understanding. The camera does not impose a view or point us in a direction but captures the mood of people uncertain of themselves and of their role in a fast-changing world. The town itself is being ‘developed’ with rich tourists in mind but what impact will this have on people with whom we find ourselves becoming increasingly involved?
 

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