Blackbird Blackberry Blackberry

Date: 19/11/2024 Times: 7:30 pm - 9:20 pm

We end the season with two more films on the Guardian’s Best of 2024 list and this is the first ever film we have shown from Georgia. The actors, Ewa Chavleishvili and Timiko Chichinadze, and the director, Elene Naveriani, have won nominations and awards at various European Award ceremonies. Etero, a 48-year-old woman living in a small village in Georgia, has chosen to remain unmarried. She cherishes her freedom, as much as her cakes. Her choice to live alone is often the cause of gossip among her fellow villagers. Unexpectedly, she finds herself falling into a passion for a man and is suddenly faced with the decision whether to pursue the traditional route of coupling or continue to pursue a life of independence. Etero must grapple with her newfound feelings and decide how to find her own path to happiness.

Chavleishvili is terrific, delivering a performance that carries the picture and sets its tone. Her Etero displays a combination of severity and sensuality that should be incongruous but works beautifully. And the character is mirrored by the film’s colour palette, which seems gloomy at first glance but is revealed to be rich, full-blooded and strikingly handsome.

Venue: William Loveless Hall