Oscars: Georgia Selects Zaza Khalvashi’s film 'Namme' for Foreign-Language Category
By Gvantsa Turmanidze
Friday, September 14
“Namme”
Director:
Zaza Khalvashi
Executive producer:
Mamuka Turmanidze
Producer:
Sulkhan Turmanidze
Co-producer:
Ieva Norviliene
Production:
BAFIS (Georgia), Tremora (Lithuania)
Financial support:
Georgian National Film Centre; Lithuanian Film Centre
World Sales:
Alpha Violet (France)
A lot has been written already about Zaza Khalvashi’s film “Namme”, some say “Namme is a film about silence”, or “an exquisite look at the conflict between tradition and modernity”, or “the film that pitches the natural world against industrial progress”, or “merging the sensuous with the superstitious”…
The good news is that Zaza Khalvashi's poetic story of a family determined to protect an ancient and venerated water source at all costs, “Namme”, was nominated at Georgia's submission in the best foreign language film for the 91st Academy Awards.
“Namme” had its world premiere at TIFF (Tokyo International Film Festival 2017) and so far, the screening of the film was held at the following film festivals: Tallinn Black Nights FF 2017 (Estonia) – Forum (European Premiere); Tbilisi FF 2017 (Georgia) – Competition/Closing (National Premiere); Goteborg IFF 2018 (Sweden) – Five Continents; Sofia IFF 2018 (Bulgaria) – Kaleidoscope; Vilnius IFF 2018 – Kinopavasaris (Lithuania) – Festival’s Favorites; Istanbul IFF 2018 – Best of The Fests; Las Palmas 2018 – Competition; Zerkalo IFF 2018; Shanghai IFF 2018; Filmfest Munchen 2018; Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2018 – In Competition.
The story is about an old man – Ali (Aleko Abashidze) and his family, who have inherited a mission – taking care of a local healing water and treating sick fellow villagers with it. Three sons are skeptical about the water, only the young daughter Namme (Mariska Diasamidze) stays as the guardian of family traditions. The Village has a mixed Muslim and Christian heritage. Namme meets Merab. Closeness and sympathy is developing between them. A hydropower station is being constructed locally, which might be a cause for environmental changes. One day the spring water starts to disappear. Father remembers the old tradition, according to which the water will not return unless the sacrifice is made…
Producer Sulkhan Turmanidze has joined the project at a later stage when principal shooting was already started. “I was inspired to get involved primarily by the concept and purpose of the film, but also by understanding that I could contribute too by bringing an essential help from the co-producer, from our sales agent and by letting festivals know about the coming film.
The producer of "Namme", Sulkhan Turmanidze also expressed his opinion concerning the criteria by which “Namme” might be revealed for the Academy Awards nomination: “If the Academy members eventually decide to let “Namme” be nominated, it will be basically thanks to brave and uncompromising directorial decisions made by Zaza Khalvashi, plus little magic made by the cinematographer Giorgi Shvelidze.
Writer-Director Zaza Khalvashi describes the aesthetics and the structure of the film as follows: The idea for the screenplay is dictated by ancient Kolkhetian mythical motives, which was later reflected throughout Georgian literature as well. It concerns the application of human sacrifice for preventing the destructive power of natural disaster. Humans always considered self-sacrifice as a principal weapon for deterring natural disasters. Analysis of ancient rituals leads to such a conclusion. Modern civilization has pushed out the mythological approach from our consciousness to such an extent, that now only pragmatism and rationalism occupy the entire available space. However, even in present times, there are people besides us who practice a different way of life and possess mythical consciousness, which by no means can be seen as inadequate.
I believe a mythical understanding of the world still remains the key to comprehending the phenomena which can’t be described otherwise in scientific terms and which possess only one quality - irrationality. If drought causes water to disappear and threatens human life, bringing back water by means of rain or other ways is only possible through sacrifice... All of geology and science is powerless in this case. Mythical considerations about life are part of original human nature because only it can free humans from the feeling of fair and helplessness...
“The story symbolizes the beginning of a new technocracy in this mystic world,” said the director. “I wanted to make a film about silence. Sounds stress silence. The constant flow of water in the film only highlights it”, then he added that the feature “is based on a quite ancient Georgian myth, and I wanted to explain how in this modern world new myths spring from there and enter our lives. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but this is happening today: you can feel it in our patriarchal Georgian society”.
“Namme”, finished Khalvashi, “is like a Medea who hasn’t known yet the sun: she is a normal girl, who wants to live a normal life as a woman. When she falls in love she loses the power of healing people”.
The film has a rather familiar coming-of-age story but infuses it with a near-magical twist. The result, aided by excellent camerawork by Giorgi Shvelidze and Mamuka Chkhikvadze, the film is compelling and remarkably good-looking.
Let’s voice for “Namme” to be nominated for the Academy Awards.
