Georgian Film Horizon’s World Premiere at the 2018 Berlinale
INTERVIEW
Georgian film and directors are reaching new heights, proven by the number of Georgian movies being featured and screened at a number of prestigious international film festivals. Georgian director Tinatin Kajrishvili’s recent film Horizon had its successful world premiere at the 68th annual Berlin Film Festival. The film was screened in the Panorama section of the 2018 Berlinale.
The movie is the author’s second feature film to be premiered at Belinale. Her previous feature debut ‘Brides,’ earned the Panorama Audience award at the 2014 Berlinale. With her new impressive and authentic drama the director once again gives an insight into human relationships with their ensuing psychological nuances and sensitivities.
GEORGIA TODAY contacted Tinatin Kajrishvili and asked her to tell us about her new film.
“The world premier was a great success,” she told us. “It was so nice that the tickets for all four screenings sold out just before the festival was launched. The stairs in the hall were full of spectators during the show, and the screening was followed by a discussion that lasted for more than 30 minutes!”
Horizon (Horizonti in Georgian) unfolds the story of a man named Giorgi who is abandoned by his wife for another man. The director shows the emotional state of the leading hero, who tries to escape his pain by fleeing the city and settling on a remote island on Paliastomi Lake, near the Black Sea, which perfectly suits his gloomy mood. Giorgi finds refuge in the company of elderly Georgians who mourn the old country. The leading roles are played by famous Georgian actor and actress George Bochorishvili (Giorgi) and Ia Sukhitashvili (Ana).
“Tinatin Kajrishvili’s second feature-length drama is a meticulously and consistently told story about the end of a relationship,” reads the description on Berlinale’s website. Unfolding with great serenity and in long shots, it creates an image of deeply felt loneliness. The main character’s contemplative state quickly infuses the film as it becomes increasingly unlikely that he will break out of his isolation. And yet, in spite of all the hopelessness, the images contain great beauty. One can almost feel the cold wind blowing through the cinema, the first snowflakes, too. Ana has found somebody new. The city is far away, as are all thoughts of the future,” berlinale.de reported.
The film was hailed by international media outlets and praised by critics.
“As with her feature debut, the atmospheric ‘Brides,’ Kajrishvili once again proves herself a canny observer of intimate relationships and their fracture points,” Variety.com wrote.
The director said the working process on the film was both interesting and hard.
“The shootings took place on an island on Paliastomi Lake. The crew had to work in the harsh conditions and freezing weather, which you can see in the film. Rain, snow, ice – all these are included in the film, adding a sad note to the whole picture. Apart from Paliastomi, the locations were in Batumi, Kobuleti and Tbilisi. The committee of Berliane looks out for the latest works of prize-winning directors and Horizon caught their eye at the Sarajevo Festival. The film attracted massive interest among world press, with large-scale publications such as filmuforia.co.uk, The hollywoodreporter, variety.com, and cineuropa.org dedicating lengthy reviews to it. The film will be released in Georgia in autumn, since we want the movie to be screened at Georgian film festivals as well,” she told us.
Lika Chigladze