DIRECTOR: Rusudan Glurjidze
STARRING: Salome Demuria, Sergey Dreyden, Goran Bogdan, Vladimir Daushvili, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 12 minutes
LANGUAGE: Georgian, Russian
A young Georgian man named Lado is involved in smuggling antique furniture from Georgia to Russia. Medea, Lado's girlfriend, buys herself an apartment in St. Petersburg's historic centre. At the time of the unlawful deportation of thousands of Georgians from Russia, Lado is caught and deported.
***
The Antique is the second feature film from director Rusudan Glurjidze. The selection comes just two weeks after the feature was caught up in an unexpected legal battle at the Venice Film Festival when an emergency decree issued on behalf of Russian and Croatian producers led to the temporary suspension of its screening in the parallel Giornate degli Autori section. These claims were contested by the film’s Georgian producers as well as its sales agent MPM International, amid suggestions that the move to prevent the film screening was politically motivated. A lawyer acting for the Giornate degli Autori filed a counterclaim and was able to overturn the decree at the eleventh hour, allowing the film to have its world premiere in the section on September 6, 2024.
The choice of The Antique as Georgia’s Oscar candidate was taken Thursday, September 12, under a secret ballot of a special commission organized by the Georgian National Film Center. The Antique was one of two frontrunners alongside Dea Kulumbegashvili’s drama April, about a rural obstetrician-gynecologist who performs illegal abortions for women. The other submitted films were Beka Sikharulidze’s From Life to Life, Davit Kafiashvili's The Man Who Stood at the Booth and Khatuna Vashadze's Devil Paradise.
The film is produced by Zurab Magalashvili at Tbilisi-based Cinetech along with the Czech Republic’s Cinetrain SA, Icelandic company Whitepoint Digital, and Germany’s Basis Berlin Filmproduction.
The Antique is a drama and it was filmed in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
To check out all previous submissions for Georgia, click HERE.
STARRING: Salome Demuria, Sergey Dreyden, Goran Bogdan, Vladimir Daushvili, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 12 minutes
LANGUAGE: Georgian, Russian
A young Georgian man named Lado is involved in smuggling antique furniture from Georgia to Russia. Medea, Lado's girlfriend, buys herself an apartment in St. Petersburg's historic centre. At the time of the unlawful deportation of thousands of Georgians from Russia, Lado is caught and deported.
***
The Antique is the second feature film from director Rusudan Glurjidze. The selection comes just two weeks after the feature was caught up in an unexpected legal battle at the Venice Film Festival when an emergency decree issued on behalf of Russian and Croatian producers led to the temporary suspension of its screening in the parallel Giornate degli Autori section. These claims were contested by the film’s Georgian producers as well as its sales agent MPM International, amid suggestions that the move to prevent the film screening was politically motivated. A lawyer acting for the Giornate degli Autori filed a counterclaim and was able to overturn the decree at the eleventh hour, allowing the film to have its world premiere in the section on September 6, 2024.
The choice of The Antique as Georgia’s Oscar candidate was taken Thursday, September 12, under a secret ballot of a special commission organized by the Georgian National Film Center. The Antique was one of two frontrunners alongside Dea Kulumbegashvili’s drama April, about a rural obstetrician-gynecologist who performs illegal abortions for women. The other submitted films were Beka Sikharulidze’s From Life to Life, Davit Kafiashvili's The Man Who Stood at the Booth and Khatuna Vashadze's Devil Paradise.
The film is produced by Zurab Magalashvili at Tbilisi-based Cinetech along with the Czech Republic’s Cinetrain SA, Icelandic company Whitepoint Digital, and Germany’s Basis Berlin Filmproduction.
The Antique is a drama and it was filmed in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
To check out all previous submissions for Georgia, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
"Why are you arresting so many of these Southerners?"
Rusudan Glurjidze’s The Antique is a masterful blend of personal drama and political commentary, a film that finds humanity in the midst of historical upheaval. Set against the backdrop of the 2006 deportations of Georgian immigrants from Russia, it offers an intimate exploration of human connection, resilience, and the weight of history. Glurjidze’s ability to intertwine a poignant odd-couple story with profound social and political undertones is a testament to her talent as a filmmaker. The result is a deeply moving cinematic experience that resonates long after the credits roll.
At the heart of the film is the unlikely relationship between Vadim, a reclusive and cantankerous opera lover played with nuance by Sergey Dreyden, and Medea, a vibrant and pragmatic Georgian immigrant portrayed brilliantly by Salome Demuria. Their dynamic is both tender and volatile, reflecting the larger cultural and generational tensions at play. Glurjidze masterfully develops their bond, allowing moments of humor and warmth to shine amid the colder realities of their circumstances. Their evolving relationship is not only compelling but also serves as a microcosm of broader themes of displacement, survival, and understanding.
The film’s setting, the snow-covered city of Saint Petersburg, becomes a character in itself. Through the lens of cinematographer Gorka Gomez Andreu, the city’s stately yet haunting beauty is brought to life, its icy facades and shadowy interiors mirroring the characters’ emotional landscapes. The antique-filled apartment at the center of the story is a visual metaphor for the weight of history, its cluttered, shadowy corners evoking a sense of lives lived and lost. Every frame is meticulously composed, enhancing the film’s poetic yet grounded tone.
What makes The Antique truly remarkable is its ability to tackle complex social and political issues without losing sight of the personal. The film does not dwell heavily on the mechanics of the 2006 deportations; instead, it uses them as a backdrop, focusing on the human stories that arise in such a charged environment. Glurjidze’s subtlety allows the audience to grasp the gravity of these events without being overwhelmed, making the emotional impact all the more profound. This restraint, combined with moments of gentle humor, creates a balanced narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally engaging.
The Antique is a triumph of storytelling and visual artistry, a film that explores the intersections of past and present, individual and collective, with grace and depth. Glurjidze’s compassion for her characters and her keen eye for detail shine through in every scene. Supported by outstanding performances, especially from Dreyden and Demuria, the film is a heartfelt exploration of the ties that bind us, even in the face of immense adversity. With this second feature, Glurjidze solidifies her place as a vital voice in contemporary cinema, delivering a work that is as intellectually enriching as it is emotionally resonant.
(This review contains spoilers.)
"Why are you arresting so many of these Southerners?"
Rusudan Glurjidze’s The Antique is a masterful blend of personal drama and political commentary, a film that finds humanity in the midst of historical upheaval. Set against the backdrop of the 2006 deportations of Georgian immigrants from Russia, it offers an intimate exploration of human connection, resilience, and the weight of history. Glurjidze’s ability to intertwine a poignant odd-couple story with profound social and political undertones is a testament to her talent as a filmmaker. The result is a deeply moving cinematic experience that resonates long after the credits roll.
At the heart of the film is the unlikely relationship between Vadim, a reclusive and cantankerous opera lover played with nuance by Sergey Dreyden, and Medea, a vibrant and pragmatic Georgian immigrant portrayed brilliantly by Salome Demuria. Their dynamic is both tender and volatile, reflecting the larger cultural and generational tensions at play. Glurjidze masterfully develops their bond, allowing moments of humor and warmth to shine amid the colder realities of their circumstances. Their evolving relationship is not only compelling but also serves as a microcosm of broader themes of displacement, survival, and understanding.
The film’s setting, the snow-covered city of Saint Petersburg, becomes a character in itself. Through the lens of cinematographer Gorka Gomez Andreu, the city’s stately yet haunting beauty is brought to life, its icy facades and shadowy interiors mirroring the characters’ emotional landscapes. The antique-filled apartment at the center of the story is a visual metaphor for the weight of history, its cluttered, shadowy corners evoking a sense of lives lived and lost. Every frame is meticulously composed, enhancing the film’s poetic yet grounded tone.
What makes The Antique truly remarkable is its ability to tackle complex social and political issues without losing sight of the personal. The film does not dwell heavily on the mechanics of the 2006 deportations; instead, it uses them as a backdrop, focusing on the human stories that arise in such a charged environment. Glurjidze’s subtlety allows the audience to grasp the gravity of these events without being overwhelmed, making the emotional impact all the more profound. This restraint, combined with moments of gentle humor, creates a balanced narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally engaging.
The Antique is a triumph of storytelling and visual artistry, a film that explores the intersections of past and present, individual and collective, with grace and depth. Glurjidze’s compassion for her characters and her keen eye for detail shine through in every scene. Supported by outstanding performances, especially from Dreyden and Demuria, the film is a heartfelt exploration of the ties that bind us, even in the face of immense adversity. With this second feature, Glurjidze solidifies her place as a vital voice in contemporary cinema, delivering a work that is as intellectually enriching as it is emotionally resonant.
