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.
| Original Title | Blind Dates | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| German Title | Blind Dates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| French Title | Blind Dates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Titles | Blind Dates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Directed by | Levan Koguashvili | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Available Formats | Blu-ray, DCP | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenplay | Boris Frumin, Levan Koguashvili in Zusammenarbeit mit Andro Sakvarelidze | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Film Editing | Nodar Nozadze | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cinematography | Tato Kotetishvili | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound | Nika Paniashvili, Niko Jobava, Irakli Ivanishvili | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Décors | Kote Japharidze | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Costumes | Tinatin Kvinikadze | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Production | Suliko Tsulukidze, Levan Koguashvili, Olena Yershova - Herausgebracht mit Unterstützung durch Euri | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Runtime | 99 Min. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Georgisch/d/f | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Actors |
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Best Film & Best Director, Sofia International Filmfestival
Fipresci Prize, Sofia International Filmfestival
Toronto International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival
Abu Dhabi Film Festival: Special Juryprize
Tbilisi International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Forum des Jungen Films, Berlinale
International Film Festival Vilnius
GoEast Festival, Best Directors Award
Lecce Filmfestival, Golden Olive Tree
«Ein wunderbar melancho-komischer Novemberblues aus Georgien.»
SRF Schweizer Radio, Brigitte Häring
«Ein langsam glimmendes Entzücken mit einem gefühlvollen Nachleuchten.»
Variety
«Ein zutiefst humaner Film, der lange nachklingt - man möchte sofort nach Tbilissi reisen.»
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Till Brockmann
«Dieser Film ist eine Seltenheit. Nicht nur weil er aus Georgien kommt und auch dort spielt, sondern weil er eine skurrile Welt aus Liebenden und schlagfertiger Melancholie gegen Geschlechter-Klischees auffährt. Zum Schmunzeln, Treibenlassen und Mitschwingen.»
Cineman, Andrea Wildt
«Der georgische Regisseur Levan Koguashvili hat eine surreal-melancholische Komödie gedreht - eine, in der die Alltäglichkeit immer wieder ins Tragische oder auch ins Absure kippt.»
Tages-Anzeiger, Pierfrancesco Basile
«Der Georgier Levan Koguashvili schuf mit «Blind Dates» eine feine, lakonische, meditative, absurde Komödie über die Schwierigkeiten, sich persönlich zu begegnen.»
Der andere Film, Hanspeter Stalder
«Blind Dates ist ein Lichtstreifen.»
Der Freitag
«Schon das Gesicht von Sandro ist ein Ereignis, es changiert zwischen unbewegt und unbegwegt. Und doch bekommt man alle seine innern Regungen mit.» ProgrammZeitung
«Von einer wunderbaren Melancholie durchzogen.»
Zitty, Berlin
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