Tkvarchelli: A stubborn, dusty look at tradition vs progress

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a very specific appetite for Soviet-era regional dramas or you’re just really into mid-century Abkhazian mountain life. If you want something that moves fast, skip it. If you like movies that feel like they were dug up from a basement, you’ll probably find something to latch onto.

It’s not exactly a barrel of laughs. The whole thing is built around this tension where the locals are basically saying "no thanks" to the Soviet mining agenda. It’s heavy on the staring, heavy on the landscape, and real light on anything resembling a traditional plot.

The texture of the thing

There’s a scene where the villagers are just sitting around, and the lighting hits their faces in this really harsh, unforgiving way. You can practically feel the grit in their clothes. It doesn’t feel like a movie set; it feels like they just dragged a camera into a place that didn't really want it there.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Tkvarchelli (1931) through its definitive frames.

The dialogue is sparse, which is a blessing because the dubbing—or maybe just the original delivery—is a bit all over the place. Sometimes it feels like they’re shouting at the mountain, other times they’re whispering to the floorboards. It makes for a weird, lopsided rhythm.

Random thoughts

• The landscape is the real star, which is good because the cast looks tired most of the time.
• The way they handle the transition to "socialist construction" is about as subtle as a sledgehammer.
• I kept thinking about The Tree of Knowledge and how that movie managed to make its setting feel alive, whereas this one feels slightly fossilized.
• There’s a specific shot of a lantern that lasts about ten seconds too long. It’s great.

It’s not a film that tries to win you over. It just sits there, being itself, demanding you deal with its pace. Some moments are beautifully framed, and then there are minutes where nothing happens besides a guy leaning against a wall and looking miserable.

Is it perfect? No. Does it feel like a real piece of history? Maybe. It’s got that weird, haunting quality where you stop watching the actors and start wondering what that village looks like now. Probably not much like this.

Watch it for the atmosphere if you’re in a quiet mood. Otherwise, maybe just read a book about the region instead. 🏔️