Aprili

A valuable part of the Arsenal archive is its comprehensive collection of Georgian films, which also includes the full oeuvre of director Otar Iosseliani, who died recently. Several of his preferred cinematic devices demonstrate a clear proximity to “magic realism”, including the stylized soundtrack of his debut APRILI, which Iosseliani makes use of to comment on and render less real the day on which half of Tbilisi moves house. The timelapse shots of people going up and down stairs and the tireless heaving around of coat stands, chairs and cupboards through labyrinthine alleys collide with the solemn, ancient cityscape that comes across like a document of past days, captured precisely in crystal clear black and white. This topography steeped in history forms the backdrop to the love story between a young couple who, after moving to a soulless pre-fab apartment between the piles of furniture, lose sight of one another both literally and figuratively. (mg)