movie

Varlam Aravidze, the mayor of a small Georgian town, has died. As the townsfolk mourn their leader, his exhumed body suddenly appears in his son’s garden. Confused officials bury the body again, only to repeatedly find it in the garden each day.

Based on two epic poems by the venerated 19th century Georgian poet Vazha-Pshavela, the film vividly depicts a clash between rival Khevsureti and Kisteti communities in the Caucasus mountains. As the main characters come at odds with their fellow villagers for showing respect to their enemies, vicious revenge ensues.

Niko Pirosmani is a self-taught painter who sells his works to taverns to pay for food and drink in late 19th century Tbilissi. Now regarded as an extraordinary figure in the naïve art movement, Pirosmani lived in poverty and obscurity, refusing to sell out or compromise his artistic freedom.