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Mark Kermode enjoys a classy film set in 90s Georgia in which two teenagers search for independence

Thrillingly intuitive and lively performances from teenagers Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria lend hefty heart and soul to this coming-of-age drama set in post-Soviet Georgia; a world in which a gun can be a token of affection, a marriage proposal looks more like a kidnapping, and love and death are never far apart. Drawing upon writer/co-director Nana Ekvtimishvili's memories of growing up in the 90s, this terrifically engaging work raises important questions about universal experience and cultural context in this case, the search for independent female identity in a society all but suffocated by the threat of violence.

The subject matter may seem heavy but the film has an extraordinary lightness of touch, with moments of astutely observed comedy giving way to defiant displays of dance beneath the overarching shadow of looming unrest.

When it comes to world cinema, one of the great perks is being given an insight into a society we generally know little about, consigned to brief news bulletins to gain an understanding of the hardships taking place. This proves to be one of the key selling points to Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß’s poignant drama In Bloom, as we’re offered a candid look into what is a largely unbeknown Georgian culture, and we leave feeling educated, enlightened, and in this case, completely intrigued.

Set in the early 1990s, with a civil war ongoing, we delve into the life of teenager girls Eka (Lika Babluani) and Natia (Mariam Bokeria), both finding solace in one another’s company, especially given their turbulent lives at home with their dysfunctional families. School brings little more joy, as they argue with their classmates, and refuse to obey their draconian teachers. Their lives...

The effects of Georgia's conflict with Russia find turbulent expression in girls trying to grow up in a dangerous world

The business of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross's very assured drama is insecurity: it charts some stormy teenage rites of passage amid the chaos of the Georgian civil war. While dutiful Eka (Lika Babluani) struggles to process her alcoholic father's absence, her coltish companion Natia (Mariam Bokeria) toys with a handgun gifted by a passing beau as a means of fending off bullies aggression simply being the done thing in these parts. Read whatever symbolism you like into that weapon, but it's merely the centrepiece of a consistently fractious universe, as the directors make a point of keeping the wider conflict off-screen: both in class and out on the breadlines, other, more localised skirmishes are never too far away. The film finds the subtle tells that suggest these free-roaming...

★★★★☆The opening film of this year's Bird's Eye View Festival, Georgian director Nana Ekvtimishvili combines with German counterpart Simon Groß for In Bloom (2013), a brilliant coming-of-ager set in the suburbs of Tblisi, circa 1992. Featuring two outstanding lead performances from bright young talents Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria, Ekvtimishvili and Groß immerse their audience in the detritus of a country in tatters, whilst at the same time delicately nurturing two intertwining female maturation tales - with all that entails. Melancholic without ever overstepping into out and out miserablism, In Bloom finds sanctuary in the friendship between two affable teenage girls as battle lines are drawn around them.

An Early Frost: Ekvtimishvili & Grob’s Debut a Memoir in Neorealism

The Georgian entry for 2014’s Best Foreign Language Film, In Bloom is the directorial debut of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Grob, and is based on the former’s memories of childhood while growing up in 1992 war-torn Georgia. Previously, they made the 2007 film Fata Morgana together (yes, which shares the same name with the famed Herzog documentary), directed by Grob and written by Ekvtimishvili. Whilst set in a notably violent period in the country after its separation from the Soviet Union, leading to an unrest that sparked a three year civil war, it seems the bubble of the adolescent realm seems to supersede all even in the worst of times. But for young girls on the cusp of developing into well-adjusted young women amidst such tumultuous times seems next to impossible, female agency dashed upon the rocks of a...

In Bloom is the kind of film that would once have been deemed “Neorealist,” then “kitchen sink,” and most recently “miserabilist,” though rarely accurately. Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s coming-of-age film, Georgia’s entry for this year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, is less an indulgence in despair than it is a calculated accumulation of horrors designed to show violence percolating through a society. That makes it sound kind of wan and unpleasant, but it’s also electrifyingly well made. The film opens on a radio announcer in the background telling us that the people of Georgia are “warriors by nature” and that they should all be armed. It then puts that observation to the test. Eka (Lika Babluani) and Natia (Mariam Bokeria) are two young teenage girls living in Tbilisi in the early nineties. Best friends, they do everything together: Wait in crushing bread lines; walk to and...

In Bloom, Georgia's Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : Big World Pictures. International Sales Agent: Memento Films International (Mfi)

Turbulent and young, the Georgian nation, like many others that achieved independence from the Soviet Union, is a land perpetually torn by war and suffering within a ramshackle economy. In 1992, fresh after gaining sovereignty, the conflict at hand involves nationals and separatists from the region of Abkhazia, an event that sinks the already pessimistic population even deeper into despair. For the most part, films that focus on such events tend to concentrate on the hardships experienced by soldiers in the fighting front. This approach often leaves the female experience remaining unexplored. Fortunately, in Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß’s In Bloom, this chaotic period is seen from the perspective of two girls who turn the film into a piece that fuses their coming-of-age preoccupations with the social disorder of the time.

Surrounded by the constant state of scarcity and widespread neuroses which is Tbilisi, pubescent best friends Eka (Lika Babluani) and Natia (Mariam Bokeria) see their lives with strongly divergent aspirations. Natia’s family is far beyond dysfunctional. Her alcoholic father and fed-up mother use every breath to argue violently while her grandmother and younger brother must endure the frequent mayhem resulting from this and from the decaying living conditions all around. Meanwhile, Eka’s home is far more uneventful since her mother works all day, her older sister spends her time plotting with her friend, and her dad is in prison. Oddly enough, the two girls gravitate towards each other for comfort, unconditional support, and together they navigate through the shoals of their confusing age and ever-changing environment. Her older crush Lado (Data Zakareishvili) gives Natia a gun for protection while he is abroad and she won’t hesitate to use it against Elka's bullies. The latter, less disturbed by the boys’ attention, wants to find out what her father did since her mother refuses to tell her.

Coerced into marriage with local tough guy Kote (Zurab Gogaladze), and likely perceiving it as a means to escape her household, Natia does not expect the turn her life takes. Intuitive Eka knows her friend won’t happy with a man that doesn’t allow her to pursue a career playing the piano or seeing her classmates, but her hands are tied and there is not much she can do. Still, when Lado returns from Moscow it is obvious that Natia’s feelings for him are still present. With a gun at their disposal, a despicable crime of passion committed, and their friendship at stake, the two loyal allies, forced to grow up prematurely, must choose between revenge and resignation.

Graced with spellbinding performances by the two young leading ladies, the film is a tour de force that as it rises to its explosive climax. Playing Natia, Mariam Bokeria is a fierce free spirit who is tamed by the yoke of a male-centric society. Bokeria blesses the story with high caliber acting in every frame. Complementary, Lika Babluani as Eka is hypnotizing. At first shy and defenseless, the actress embellishes her role with gutsy subdued strength that allows her to handle disputes with decisiveness. Her recently developed confidence peaks at Natia’s wedding, when, in a mesmerizing standout sequence, Eka puts on a show dancing for the attendees. More a statement than mere spur of the moment fun, her elegant moves earn her nothing less than a standing ovation.

Designed with a gloomy yet stylishly vivid look, the film is gorgeous to look a in a rustic and evocative fashion. There is an eternal sense of desperation in the story that doesn’t hinder the protagonists’ necessity to experience life, to bloom in spite of the somber context. On the contrary, the strangeness of their ordeal makes for an absorbing, and artfully crafted tale. Unequivocally In Bloom is an enthralling work of cinema adorned with flawless performances, terrific direction, and fully aware of the importance of its national identity. One can only wish for it to be a serious contender for some well-deserved worldwide recognition.

Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...

In Bloom is a neo-realist drama set in the early ’90s in the country of Georgia. It follows the adventures of two fourteen-year-old girls — one fully immersed in her adolescence, the other ready to bust out — as they navigate their culturally limiting universe.

Before the screening of the film at AFI Fest, writer and co-director Nana Ekvtimishvili said she based her script on her own experiences growing up in Georgia. So, the film feels nicely authentic, but not limited, either, as the minimalist directing style — with co-director Simon Groß — allows for the opening up of universal adolescent struggles that transcend country and decade.

One just hopes that the incident with the gun is a narrative construct and not literally pulled from Ekvtimishvili’s personal history.

Have You Seen This Movie? (Leave Your Own Review)

There is the old adage about showing a gun early in a narrative structure that it...

In Bloom

Directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross

Georgia/Germany/France, 2013

In Bloom is an honest and troubling tale of the passage into womanhood entrenched in poverty and persecution. Set in the capital city of Tbilisi, Georgia right after the fall of the Soviet Union, In Bloom follows the story of two 14-year old girls, Eka (Lika Babluani) and Natia (Mariam Bokeria), and the daily oppression they must endure. Playing in the Compétition Internationale section of the 42nd Festival du nouveau cinema, it is the first feature from filmmakers Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross.

The film centers around the women in the film, not only the two main characters, but also their mothers, Natia’s grandmother, Eka’s older sister, and the many other girls and women they come across during their day-to-day routines. From the opening shot onward, the camera lingers on the faces of these characters, watching them silently and intently,...

In Bloom wins Heart of Sarajevo for best film and its two leads share the best actress award, A Stranger gets special jury prize and best actor

The 19th Sarajevo Film Festival wrapped last night [24] with In Bloom and A Stranger winning the main awards.

Georgian coming-of-age story In Bloom by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß won the Heart of Sarajevo for best film in the feature competition worth €16,000 provided by the Council of Europe. The film’s two leads, first-timers Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria, shared the €2,500 best actress prize.

This adds to In Bloom’s series of awards which includes Cicae at Berlin and Fipresci and Golden Firebird in Hong Kong

Bobo Jelcic’s Croatia-Bosnia co-production A Stranger received the special jury prize and €10,000 provided by Agnes B. Living legend of Yugoslav cinema Bogdan Diklic won Heart of Sarajevo for best actor for his role in the film, also worth €2,500.

A...

Russian director Alexander Velidinsky’s The Geographer Drank His Globe Away was the big winner at the 4th Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff).

The tragi-comedy picked up the Grand Prix Golden Duke, voted for by the festival audience, and the International Jury’s Golden Duke for Best Film

The $4m production, which had screened to an enthusiastic capacity audience of over 1,200 in Odessa’s Festival Palace on Thursday evening, is being handled internationally by fledgling Russian sales outfit Antipode Film Sales & Distribution and will be released theatrically in Russia on 400 prints on November 7.

Last month, Velidinsky’s film won the Grand Prix and three other awards at the Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi.

The prize for Best Acting went to the female leads Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s In Bloom, which won the main prize at Voices in Vologda two weeks ago. The Odessa...