A Life in Film – The Works of Lana Gogoberidze

Georgian director Lana Gogoberidze is no stranger to Berlin - she has been a guest at Arsenal several times and was recently invited to the Berlinale Forum - but till now there had been no comprehensive presentation of the films she made during her long career in the German capital. After the GoEast festival in Wiesbaden, which organized the world's first retrospective of Gogoberidze's work in 2022, we are all the more pleased to be able to show the Berlin audience the director's films, many of which have been newly digitized, and to welcome her to Arsenal on March 1.

Born in Tbilisi in 1928, Gogoberidze studied literature before going on to study directing at the VGIK in Moscow. Her film career began in the early 1960s and continues to this day: Her latest film, a portrait of her mother, premiered at this year's Forum. But Gogoberidze's life has by no means not been marked by interruptions, and already her childhood was marred by loss. Gogoberdidze's father was murdered in 1937 during the Stalinist purges and her mother was exiled to Siberia for 10 years (which WALTZ ON THE PETSCHORA recounts). Just as autobiography often finds its way into her films, Gogoberidze always places the political in the private sphere. Her films usually revolve around the perspectives of women defending their happiness against the backdrop of overpowering political systems and trying to preserve their independence. The focus is primarily on concrete living conditions, daily life with all its hardships, not least housework and taking care of family members. Paths taken, difficult decisions and moral questions are also topics, as is the place of people in society, as well as, very specifically, Georgian culture and tradition in all its forms. (Annette Lingg)

In cooperation with the Kinothek Asta Nielsen. Thanks to Salome Alexi and Gaby Babić.