Sandro is a forty-something teacher and still lives with his parents, who constantly meddle in his private life. He shows little interest in the blind dates his friend Iva pressures him to go on. On an outing to the Black Sea, he falls in love with the hairdresser Manana. When her husband Tengo is released from jail early, Sandro’s predicament takes on absurd dimensions. He gets caught up in wild family disputes and feels compelled to move Natia, pregnant with Tengo’s child, into his parents’ home.
Wrong conclusions and misunderstandings are the driving force of this melancholy comedy, in which everyone meddles with everything but no one really listens, which only leads to yet further confusion. When in doubt, they all argue together with true ferocity, the situation invariably ending in intense outbursts. Levan Koguashvili’s second feature is thus in keeping with the best traditions of Georgian cinema. The narrative tone stays calm, as the events come thick and fast. Unsentimental, with various ellipses and allusions, and shot with wonderful colour compositions and an incredible feel for space, architecture and cityscapes, the film ultimately attains extraordinary profundity. (Christoph Terhechte)
Production: Millimeter Film, Tbilisi; Kino Iberika, Tbilisi; Tato Film, Kiev
Screenplay: Boris Frumin, Levan Koguashvili in cooperation with Andro Sakvarelidze
Camera: Tato Kotetishvili
Cast: Andro Sakvarelidze, Ia Sukhitashvili, Archil Kikodze, Vakhtang Chachanidze
Format: DCP 1:1.85, Colour
Running time: 99 min
Language: Georgian
Shemtkhveviti paemnebi
Blind Dates
Levan Koguashvili
Georgia 2013
