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APRIL

Georgien | Dea Kulumbegashvili

Nina (strongly played by Ia Sukhitashvili) is a midwife who works in the countryside and is confronted with the consequences of a tragic incident right at the beginning of the film: An infant dies during a delivery, and Nina is faced with the father's angry demand to investigate her supposed mistakes. Nina lives only for her work, she is considered the best midwife in the area and has no private life. But the investigation reveals the unexpected: Nina appears to be carrying out illegal abortions in the region and also offering over-the-counter contraceptives. These findings put additional pressure on her. The anger of her father, who learns of her reputation, casts a shadow over Nina's already tarnished professional standing and calls all her ethical decisions into question. Dea Kulumbegashvili has been regarded as the greatest talent in Georgian cinema since her debut “Beginning”. Once again, she shows us the inner life of a radical character and her merciless living conditions. Kulumbegashvili films Nina's story in an austere and haunting visual language characterized by long, static shots and sweeping panoramic shots. With its distanced view of complex realities, “April” is reminiscent of the early work of Carlos Reygadas, but is very independent in its precision and atmospheric density. While many films often emotionally charge the topic of abortion, here an unembellished portrayal of Nina's challenges unfolds. This mixture of horror film, social study and poetic film form was awarded the screenplay prize in Venice.

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Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili Screenplay: Dea Kulumbegashvili Length: 134 min Language: Georgian OF / English UT Country of production: Georgia, Italy, France Production: First Picture, Frenesy (Luca Guadagnino), Arte, Memo Films, Independent Film Project Cast: Ia Sukhitashvili, Kakha Kintsurashvili, Merab Ninidze Festivals: Venice, Toronto, San Sebastián, Busan, New York, London Prizes: Venice Special Jury Prize, San Sebastián Zabaltegi Prize

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