During the Second World War, the arrival of a group of hot-blooded Georgian soldiers forced to side with the Nazis, forms a welcome change in the life of the Texel girl Marie. She dreams of mountains, but suffers under the bigotry of the religiously conservative island inhabitants. While her family has already chosen a husband for her, she falls in love with the Georgian Goga. Ineke Smits combines the harsh reality of war with a layer of magic-realism. Marie’s dreams are augmented by the Georgian music and the Soviet musical The Aviatrix of Kazbek, a film within the film (with the leading role for the Romanian Anamaria Marinca, protagonist of Cristian Mungiu’s Golden Palm winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) that the Georgians watch in secret. The screenplay by writer Arthur Japin (also has a minor role as a village elder) was inspired by the real billeting of Georgian soldiers on the island of Texel, all played by Georgian actors in the film.
Film details
Countries of production
Belgium, Netherlands
Year
2010
Festival edition
IFFR 2010
Length
103'
Medium/Format
35mm
Language
Dutch, Georgian, German
Premiere status
World premiere
Director
Ineke Smits
Producer
San Fu Maltha, Ellen de Waele, Denis Vaslin, Els Vandevorst
Screenplay
Ineke Smits, Arthur Japin
Production design
Diana van de Vossenberg
Production company
Isabella Films, Fu Works, Serendipity Films, Volya Films