A major retrospective dedicated to Georgian silent cinema is in progress in Paris at the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé. Titled “Georgian Silent Cinema – Mirror of a Nation,” the program runs from February 4 to March 3 and presents nearly 20 landmark films of the Georgian avant-garde.
The National Archives of Georgia stated that the retrospective is organized under the special ‘carte blanche’ status granted by the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé to the Georgian National Film Center and the National Archives of Georgia.
The program showcases some of the most influential works of early Georgian filmmaking, including My Grandmother, Eliso, Salt for Svanetia, Ugabura, Khanuma, Giuli, Who Is to Blame?, and The Fortress of Suram, among others.
Screenings take place at the foundation’s cinema hall and are accompanied by live musical performances from pianists of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, recreating the authentic silent film experience.
As part of the retrospective, a special discussion event was held focusing on Georgian avant-garde cinema. Participants included film director and Eurimages representative Sofia Babluani, film scholar and project manager at the Georgian National Film Center Nino Kavtaradze, Head of the Film, Photo and Audio Archive at the National Archives Giorgi Kakabadze, as well as prominent academics such as Jean Radvanyi (INALCO), Gabrielle Chomentowski (Sorbonne University), and Maia Varsimashvili-Rafaeli (Paris Nanterre University).
Speakers explored the connections between 1920s Georgian literature and the origins of Georgian cinema, examined the historical context of avant-garde filmmaking in Georgia and emphasized its distinctive contribution to world cinema history.
