Tbilisi-Tbilisi (2005)

Director:

Levan Zaqareishvili

Writer:

Levan Zaqareishvili (writer)

Release Date:

14 July 2005 (Georgia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young filmmaker named Dato has no money to make a movie, so he hangs out drinking and brooding all day in the capital of the former Soviet republic...

Plot Keywords:

Georgia Europe | Alcoholism | Tragicomedy | Director | Poverty

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Giorgi Maskharashvili	...	Dato
Eka Nijaradze
Rusiko Kobiashvili
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Berta Khapava
Dato Khurtsilava
Shota Qristesashvili
Baadur Tsuladze

Runtime:

Georgia:87 min | France:107 min

Country:

Georgia

Language:

French | Georgian

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Tbilisi, Georgia

Company:

National Centre of Cinematography of Georgia

Trivia:

Selected as the Georgian entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 2006 Oscars.

Tbilisi is a gritty look at itself

I saw this film at the 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Levan Zaqareishvili is it's Tbilisi born and Tblisi resident Director/Writer/Producer and since it about a man who is writing a film you have to wonder if this may be a thinly veiled film based on Zaquareishvilli and some of his experiences. This film is slow paced and very dark and brooding but it keeps your attention. There are some interesting characters like the retired professor who is now a market vendor, the old woman selling sunflower seeds, the gang of delinquents and the alcoholic sister of the gang leader, the bully security guard, the marketplace drummer and the deaf vagrant and her little brother in this bleak look at the underbelly and harsh life of Tbilisi. Again you have to wonder if some of these character subjects are drawn from real life. Segments of the film that represent what the central character is writing for his movie are shot in black and white that gives it a dramatic and documentary style effect. I would give this a 7.0 out of scale of 10. It is a good film and I would recommend it.