:
Esther Gorintin,
Esther Gorintin,
Dinara Droukarova,
more...
:
Julie Bertucelli,
Julie Bertucelli
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: Not Rated
: Zeitgeist Films
: Drama, Foreign, France
: 99 min.
: French, Russian, Georgian
: English, French
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A family is forced into deception for the sake of their matriarch in this poignant drama. Three generations of women share a tiny apartment in Tbilisi, a Georgia city that has been devastated by war, political instability, and a ruined economy. Eka (Esther Gorintin) is an elderly woman whose health is failing, but her will remains strong and she holds sway over the household. Eka's daughter, Marina (Nino Khomassouridze), is a middle-aged woman who is still dealing with the devastating circumstances of her childhood and the death of her husband. And Marina's daughter, Ada (Dinara Droukarova), is a college student who feels trapped by her circumstances and abraded by her lack of privacy; she has a lover, but since she must share a bed with her mother, they can only make love in his car. The light of Eka's life is her son, Otar, who has fled Tbilisi and lives in Paris. Otar writes frequently and sends money as often as he can, and while Marina resents her mother's obvious favoritism toward her brother, she and Ada realize how important his letters are to her. While Eka is visiting friends, Marina and Ada receive devastating news -- Otar has died in Paris, and since he wasn't carrying his visa when his body was found, he's been buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Afraid this news would be a severe blow to Eka's poor health, Marina doesn't tell her mother what has happened, and Ada begins writing letters as Otar to maintain the illusion that he's alive. The ruse works well enough until Eka announces she's raised enough money by selling her possessions to visit her son in France. Depuis Qu'Otar Est Parti... (aka Since Otar Left) is the first feature film from director Julie Bertuccelli; it received an enthusiastic reception when it was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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| A moving but delightful film
by MKaliher
February 10, 2008 - 10:55 AM PST
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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| One could call this an ensemble film, as it is built largely upon the interactions of three women--a grandmother, mother, and daughter--whose poverty forces them together in a small Georgian apartment. An unseen son, Otar, trained as a doctor but working construction jobs in Paris, shares their poverty and their affection. The delight comes from the thoughtful ways the women care for one another, despite their circumstances, as when Eka, the grandmother, sacrifices the family's prize possession in order to buy a plane ticket to Paris to visit her son, and deceives the other women to hide the sad truth of Otar's situation from them. Esther Gorintin, who apparently began acting at the age of 84, steals the show as Eka. For much of the film she seems to merely hover in the background, nearly as inconsequential as the stooped old woman who struggles to drop the bottle in the recycling bin in Kieslowski's Three Colors series. But when director Bertucelli focuses on her character, and her beautiful face, toward the end of the film, Gorintin truly shines, conveying complex emotions with the most subtle facial expressions and gestures. The photography and editing are also great, and if this is Bertucelli's first feature film, we have every reason to expect great work from her in the future. |
| Georgians on My Mind
by JPielaszczyk
April 28, 2005 - 3:03 PM PDT
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0 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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The first two scenes establish the mood: the grandmother, assisted by the bakery assistant, thoughtfully chooses a splendid pastry from a glass tower-like case. Next, seated at a table with her daughter, she proceeds to enjoy said pastry. The daughter, who has choosen not to get a pastry, takes a bite of her mom's, who barely tolerates the familiarity. A second bite, though, puts her over the edge: a certain look, and then the daughter slams down the fork.
I was interested in checking out Tbilisi, and in hearing the Georgian language, which I supposed would have Slavic sonorities and Turkish elements. True enough, but also a lot of well-spoken French, and good plot elements about that. The granddaughter's appearance resembled--and didn't--many of my Polish-hyphenated cousins and classmates.
Warning: possible spoiler: that granddaughter eventually leaves for a life on her own, an event prefigured by earlier scenes. She descends an escalator, and then walks off by herself. Cut. Credits. Perfection. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.17)
35 Votes
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| Cannes Film Festival & More - 2003 |
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| Official Selection, Certain Regards... and more. Here is a bit more information on the films screened at the Cannes. I have attempted to list all the films that were considered for an award as well as any special screenings. |
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