FILM: Georgia’s female filmmakers shine at Korean film festival (agenda.ge)

(agenda.ge) The work of some of Georgia’s leading female filmmakers will reach an international audience when it goes on show at one of Korea’s top film festivals this month.

"A Story of Mountainous Racha",
1930 by first female film director Nutsa Gogoberidze

Twelve films with Georgian female directors will be showcased at the 19th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.

This year the BIFF established a special program devoted to Georgia in order to introduce newly emerged female directors and highlight their significance in Georgian cinema history. The work of male Georgian filmmakers will also be presented at BIFF.

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"The Power of Georgian Women Filmmakers is not only significant for showing films directed by women but this is an opportunity to show social issues, contradiction, discrimination and conflict seen in Georgia through 12 films by female directors. Regardless of gender, the new cinematic aesthetics of Georgian films will be delivered to audiences,” stated the BIFF website."

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This year’s special program will feature 12 films including A Story of Mountainous Racha directed in 1930 by Georgia’s first female film director Nutsa Gogoberidze.

As well as holding this impressive title, Gogoberidze was the start of a three generational line of female film directors. Her daughter Lana Gogoberidze directed Day is Longer than Night, which was introduced at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1984, and her granddaughter Salome Alexi currently worked as a film producer and director.

The BIFF will create an opportunity for viewers to watch works from all three women in the Gogoberidze family, as well as works from other Georgian female directors.

While the work of female Georgian filmmakers will be honoured, other Georgian movies by male filmmakers will also be presented at BIFF.

In the World Cinema section of the festival, 55 films from 33 countries will take part, including Georgian film Corn Island, directed by George Ovashvili. The film wowed critics at July's 49th Karlovy Vary Film Festival where it won the $25,000 Crystal Globe top prize.

The focus of the BIFF was to introduce new films and first-time directors, especially those from Asian countries. Another notable feature was the event’s appeal to young people, in terms of the youthful audience it attracted and through its efforts to develop and promote young talent.

The work of Georgian female filmmakers at BIFF is:

• A Story of Mountainous Racha directed by Nutsa Gogoberidze.

• Day is Longer than Night directed by Lana Gogoberidze.

• Felicita directed by Salome Alexi.

• The Lullaby directed by Nana Janelidze.

• Salt White directed by Keti Machavariani.

• Susa directed by Rusudan Pirveli.

• Keep Smiling directed by Rusudan Chkonia.

• Bakhmaro directed by Salome Jashi.

• The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear directed by Tinatin Gurchiani.

• Brother directed by Teona Mghvdeladze, Thierry Grenade.

• Brides directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili.

• In Bloom directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross.

TRAILER: Salt White. A Film by Keti Machavariani (youtube.com)

 

A film by Keti Machavariani 2011
Producers: Gia Bazgadze, Levan Korinteli, Jaga Grip
with the financial support of Georgian National Film Center



Keti Machavariani graduated from Tbilisi State University, Art Department, in 1995, and continued her studies at the State University of Film and Theatre, Film Department – specializing in Film Direction – from which she graduated in 2002. Between 2005 and 2006 – with the help of a scholarship of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – she undertook a practical course with the Italian State TV broadcaster RAI.


 



Keti Machavariani graduated from Tbilisi State University's faculty of Art in 1995, and continued her studies at the State University of Film and Theatre's faculty of Cinema – specializing in Film Direction – from which she graduated in 2002.
Between 2005 and 2006 – with the help of a scholarship of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – she undertook a practical course with the Italian State television broadcaster RAI.
She has directed several short films, worked as a director and producer of television programmes, and has also worked as assistant director for several full-length feature films. She also contributed to the Anabechdi and Focus magazines for several years.
From 2007 to 2009 she worked for the "Independent Film Project" film studio, and since 2009 she has been a project manager for the "Kartuli Pilmi" (Georgian Film) film studio. She is working as an executive producer, her last project Street Days has been selected by the Rotterdam International Film Festival at Tiger Award competition.
Project Salt white is participant of B2B - Belgrade Film Meeting 2008 and Hermes – training programme for CBCC producers (Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), of DAB at Golden Apricot International Film Festival (Yerevan 2009) and of the seventh edition of the European Cinema and Audiovisual Day (Torino) 2009

Filmography:
2011 Marilivit Tetri /Salt White
2003 Shushis Namskhvrevi (Corto/short)
2003 Mariami (Mariami) (Corto/short)
2002 Cifruli Miakhloveba (Corto digital/digital short) Diploma work
2000 Zalian Zveli Istoria Akhali SakheebitVery/ Old Story With The New Faces
(Corto/short) - Grand prize, the youth film festival "We are coming", Tbilisi
1999 Sakhli/The House (doc. corto/short)
1999 Tbilisi – Rotterdam 24 hour, without comment (doc. corto/short)

Press >>> 

saltwhite.ge

screendaily.com

tbilisifilmfestival.ge

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(raeuberin.com) Frauen und Mädchen bestimmen ganz klar den diesjährigen Wettbewerb des Crossing Europe. In Salt White sind es gleich zwei: Die Anfang 30-jährige Nana und das etwa 13-jährige Waisenmädchen Sapo. Nana hat zwei Jobs als Saisonkellnerin am georgischen Schwarzen Meer und Sapo treibt sich mit anderen entlaufenen Heimkindern am gleichen Strand herum. Sapo sucht die Nähe von Nana, die sie nicht abwehrt, aber sich auch nicht einfach auf eine Freundschaft einlässt. Beide werden von Regisseurin und Dreuhbuchautorin Keti Machavariani als versehrte Einzelgängerinnen in einer Post-Kriegs-Gesellschaft porträtiert. Von den geschichtlichen Hintergünden der Figuren erfahren wir als Zuschauer_innen nicht viel. Von Sapo nichts außer ihrem Traum an einen Strand aus Salzgestein zu gelangen. Von Nana nur, dass sie aus einem anderen Dorf kommt, in dem sie ein Café aufmachen will. Vom Polizisten Nikos immerhin, dass seine Eltern in Flüchtlingsunterkünften leben und er selbst als Soldat im Krieg war, in dem viele seiner Kameraden starben. Nikos gefällt Nana, er lässt sich auf eine Affäre ein, doch beide sind nicht fähig oder willig, mehr zu investieren, mehr Gefühle zu zeigen. So wirken die Handlungen wie in einem leicht unterkühlter Berliner Schule- Film, wovon Keti Machavariani allerdings beteuert, diese Referenz nicht willentlich gesetzt zu haben. In der Wiederholung der Einstellungen über Einsamkeit und Sehnsucht soll sich wohl die Beklemmung einer traumatisierten Gesellschaft vermittelt werden, doch so recht geht das Konzept nicht auf. Weder der Film insgesamt noch die Figuren nehmen eine bestimmte Richtung an, es findet weder ein radikaler Ausbruch noch eine Kreisbewegung statt. Und um den Film allein als Zeitdokument über Georgien zu sehen, fehlt ihm der Tiefgang in die Landesgeschichte.