Simindis kundzuli (2014)

The river creates and the river destroys in an eternal cycle that even man can't escape.

Director:

George Ovashvili

Writers:

Roelof Jan Minneboo, George Ovashvili

Stars:

Ilyas Salman, Mariam Buturishvili, Irakli Samushia

23 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Ilyas Salman	...	Old man
Mariam Buturishvili	...	Girl
Irakli Samushia	...	Soldier
Tamer Levent	...	Abkhazian oficer

Storyline

Swollen up by the spring inundation, the river falls down on the lowlands and before eventually throwing rocks and silts in the sea, gathers them here and there in the middle of the river. In several days, even sometimes overnight, in these shoals rather large islands are created. Soil of such an island is rich and fertile. An old man and his young granddaughter decide to grow corn on this island. But soldiers pass by.

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Plot Keywords:

island | corn | hiding underwater | hiding | stranger | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Georgia to the best foreign language film category of the 87th Academy Awards 2015. Made the shortlist of 9 films.

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Connections

Referenced in CT na MFF Karlovy Vary 2017: Generální reditel Petr Dvorák (2017)

User Reviews

the best art film of the decade

One of the main goals of art film is to depict life in its most pure, elemental state. Yet few art movies have managed to achieve that goal with as much grace and poetic depth as George Ovashivili's Corn Island. This immaculately composed film takes the viewers on a soul-touching journey into the desolate, breathtakingly beautiful wilderness of a small island in Georgia and perfectly captures the rhythm of nature and the relation between nature and the two main characters whose daily struggles are interweaved into the light, sound and motion of nature around them. Throughout the film, the viewer can't help but feel the life-like, natural quality of every picture and scene. There are no excessive details; everything is distilled into its most natural state. The image of the old man's granddaughter sitting on the boat with a bundle of shining reed under the crisp sunlight is a precise portrait of life itself. In essence, art has blended into life, and life into art. What is more remarkable is that the director has managed to convey this profound state of life without the help of dialogue. Perhaps one could argue that it is precisely the lack of dialogue that has made this film that much more powerful and moving. A scene in the beginning where the old man fondly looks at a little bird pecking at the wood conveys a sense of elegance that no language can easily convey. Even the intermittent gunshots we hear in the background and the discovery of a wounded soldier that temporarily disrupts the tranquility of the island do not lead the film to deviate from its original artistic path. On the contrary, the tension lurking in the background elevates the humanistic aspect of the film to a new height. In the end, every human gesture and activity is dissolved into the larger nature. What we are left with is a film that touches the depth of our soul with such simplicity and gracefulness that very few films can match.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Hungary]

Country:

Georgia Germany France Czech Republic Kazakhstan Hungary

Language:

Georgian Abkhazian Russian

Release Date:

17 September 2014 (Georgia)

Also Known As:

Corn Island

Filming Locations:

Georgia

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,445

Company Credits

Production Co:

42film, Alamdary Films, Arizona Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 100 min 100 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1