SHEMTKHVEVITI PAEMNEBI / BLIND DATES

A rain-swept beach in November. Pebbles hastily lined into the shape of football goals, two bodies come together and find love. Sandro, aged 40, tells Manana he’s never felt so safe in somebody’s arms, and asks her to stay by his side. But in the cold light of day a repeat of their blissful encounter seems questionable: Manana’s husband, serving a prison sentence for brutally killing a purported rival, is due for release in a few days’ time. Chance will have it that the ex-convict chooses Sandro, of all people, to be his confidant. Increasingly drawn into a complicated web of relationships, Sandro – maintaining an impassive demeanour worthy of Buster Keaton – must decide in favour of love, honour, or compassion. Levan Koguashvil’s tragicomedy is a tender declaration of love for the people of Georgia, and for the optimism with which they overcome the bleakness of sometimes monochrome everyday lives.

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LEVAN KOGUASHVILI
Born 1973 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
A student of film production when war broke out in Georgia, he began to work as a journalist for the country’s first independent television station. He later studied directing at VGIK Moscow. His short film VALI / THE DEBT ran at Sundance in 2006. His debut feature QUCHIS DGEEBI / STREET DAYS won the Award for Best Film at goEast 2010. He was a member of the international goEast Jury in 2011.

FILMOGRAPHY (SELECTION)
1998 / MEFE LIRI / KING LEAR (short)
2000 / BETLEM / BETLEMI (doc)
2004 / SAKHLI / HOME (doc)
2005 / VALI / THE DEBT (short)
2005 / PATARA TEATRI VASHINGTOSHI / A SMALL THEATRE IN WASHINGTON (doc)
2009 / QALEBI SAQARTVELODAN / WOMEN FROM GEORGIA (doc)
2010 / QUCHIS DGEEBI / STREET DAYS
2013 / SHEMTKHVEVITI PAEMNEBI / BLIND DATES