2018 Georgian Contemporary Film Festival
Embassy of Georgia to the United States in partnership with the Georgian National Film Center and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University presents a week-long Georgian Contemporary Film Festival from November 13th to 16th in Washington D.C.
The film festival is themed around contemporary Georgian cinematography and includes a selection of six impressive productions and discussions with film directors.
The films will be screened at four locations:
Ø 13 November/ 6:30PM — 9:00PM / My Happy Family / Embassy of Georgia / 1824 R Street NW, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: In a patriarchal society, an ordinary Georgian family lives with three generations under one roof. All are shocked when 52-year-old Manana decides to move out from her parents’ home and live alone. Without her family and her husband, a journey into the unknown begins.
Ø 14 November/ 6:30PM — 8:00PM / Ara, Megobaro (No, My Friend) / followed by a conversation with film director Giorgi Mgeladze / Embassy of Georgia / 1824 R Street NW, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: One day in 29 year old Levan’s life which starts in summer, continues in winter and goes through autumn and spring. Levan is going to leave the country in a few days to travel the world and is getting ready for it. Towards the end of the movie Levan and his friend gets in shootout where he dies from the wound… Levan comes back to his little friend, 9 year old Nutsa, Nutsa is in love with Levan and except Nutsa nobody can see him. While making movie lead actor Levan Abashidze went to war when Russia started to occupy Part of Georgia. He died in this war. Movie was finished with POV (point of view) camera as Levan. As film critic Gogi Gvakharia said once “Little Prince was revived by POV camera”
Ø 14 November/ 6:00PM — 9:00PM / DEDE / followed by a conversation with film director Mariam Khatchvani / George Washington University / Lindner Commons 6th Floor / 1957 E St NW, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: Based on true events that took place at the outset of the Georgian Civil War, Dede takes place in the high mountainous community of Svaneti, where people live far removed from the modern world. Young girl Dina lives in a remote mountain village in Svaneti, where life is strictly governed by centuries of tradition. Dina’s grandfather has promised her to a fellow villager David, who is returning from the war. With David comes a comrade-in-arms, handsome Gegi, and Dina falls in love.
Ø 15 November / 6:00PM — 8:30PM / House of Others / Johns Hopkins University / SAIS Rome Building, Rome Auditorium / 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: Inspired by the director’s own experiences, the film opens in the 1990s, “after the war,” as a small family — father Astamur (Zurab Magalashvili), his wife, son and young daughter — rattles up a rainy hillside in rural Georgia in a jeep with a cracked windshield. They’re being driven by Ginger (Malkhaz Jorbenadze), a shady opportunist profiting by relocating families to a remote village abandoned by its inhabitants as the conflict approached. The mother, Liza (Olga Dykhovichnaya), looks out with a pinched and anxious face, clutching her daughter to her as Ginger extols the virtues of their new home: the beauty of the landscape and the sweetness of the thin-skinned tangerines that grow in abundance all around.
Ø 16 November / 6:30PM — 9:30PM / Scary Mother / followed by a conversation with film director Ana Urushadze / Embassy of Georgia / 1824 R Street NW, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: A 50-year-old housewife, Manana, struggles with her dilemma — she has to choose between her family life and her passion, writing, which she had repressed for years. She decides to follow her passion and plunges herself into writing, sacrificing to it mentally and physically.
Ø 16 November / 5:30PM — 7:45PM / Blind Dates / followed by a conversation with film director Levan Koghuashvili / Georgetown University / Healey Family Student Center Film Screening Room / Tondorf Rd, Washington DC / REGISTER
Synopsis: Sandro is a 40-year-old Tbilisi teacher who still lives with his parents. His mother constantly bugs him to grow up and get married, but Sandro has little luck with the women he and his single friend Iva contact through dating sites. After yet another unsuccessful match up, Sandro meets hairdresser Manana, the mother of one of his students, and falls in love with her. However, the seemingly single Manana turns out to be married and her hot-tempered husband Tengo is just about to be released on probation.
Please note that the films are subtitled in English / Tickets are FREE at all events / Complementary Georgian wine tasting
Georgian Contemporary Film Festival in Washington D.C. follows the Georgian Cinema Showcase at Polish Film Festival in America (PFFA) in Chicago between November 9–12, co-organized by “Society for Arts” (Chicago) and Batumi International Art-House Film Festival, partnered to the Embassy of Georgia and the Georgian National Film Center, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.