Dede

"Dede" is a beautiful, moving, heartrending story, based on actual cultural practices (brideknapping included) in the Caucasus until just a few decades ago. Sadly, these cultural practices still prevail in more than a few countries around the world. I'm no expert in Svaneti, but after traveling in the region with local residents, staying in local guesthouses, and hearing their stories, all of the events in the movie ring true. "Dede" is expertly told on a tiny budget, with (mostly and perhaps all) amateur actors. This is what movie-making should be about, not all the special effects, car crashes, and explosions.

Taking place in the country of Georgia shortly after the Soviet Union broke apart there erupts ethnic & regional conflict (w/the usual Russian interference currently ongoing in Georgia & Ukraine's Crimea annexation) resulting in many going off to and coming home from battle which is where this story starts. An Eastern Orthodox Christian country that because of poor education still relies on the traditions of the church to set precedence & govern behavior. One issue facing this ethos is the status of women (a common issue in many conservative religions) where they have a status & value somewhere at or below that of livestock. Although male-centric even the elderly women, poorly if at all educated, also preserve the status quo of God, Jesus, and ancestral spirits to determine the fates (along w/sacrificing a pig, goat or chicken). The female fate, "She must be cheerful, wear colorful clothes, and have a baby." Oh, and then there's forced/arranged marriage, and an attempt at rebelling against it (and the cruelty of people imposing their religious interpretations upon others), which is what this story is about. Filmed on location, w/beautiful scenery & remote villages.

I am Georgian myself and saw this movie in Svaneti (where it was taken). I am ashamed to see that people are abusing the dark side of our history to play on people's emotions superficially to win grants, but regretfully the movie has no value. Instead of showing the real life in mountains, the actual traditions (which were very developed and the included mediation and such institutes as jury etc. The director is playing on people's emotions artificially).

This is not how the life was in Svaneti, people were much kinder to each other and nobody killed and raped each other like this. I'm sad to see this movie and hope not many people will get to see it because it is filled with lies. The director just used cheap methods for playing on emotions with lies and artificial scenes. I was sad to see this movie.

An excellent directorial debut from Mariam Khatchvani, beautifully framed and shot. She makes hard narrative choices, to sympathetically show the extant tension between conservative traditions, and a young woman's desire for autonomy - all within the framework of a love story destined for a tragic end.

Based on real events, and showcasing a turbulent period in recent Georgian history, it is a story that could be from many places, and is all the more remarkable for how recently the story is set.

Khatchvani directs with a light touch, and gets wonderful and credible performances from many local people who make up her cast, much in the same vein as Pasolini.

Minor missteps in pacing and editing are easily forgiven for the sure hand shown in shooting and framing the narrative - the village of Ushguli and its beautiful surrounding mountains play as much a character as any of the actors. Absolutely worth your time.

The atmosphere. as a large circle of customs, traditions, relationships, faith, fears, rules. this defines "Dedi" for a viewer out of Caucasus. and it does it in precise and clear manner. as invitation to become part of this strange, cold, very old world. the first temptation is to compare. with the films of Tengiz Abuladze. yes, it is Georgia. the basic traits are the same. but it has two virtues defining it in profound sense: the vision of Mariam Khatchvani and the status of history of present. the roots are the same for an isolated comunity and the story could have as location a villge from Albania, Turkey, Greece or Romania. but it is more than a beautiful film. it is a great story about roots of ordinary life. about its structure. and about the way to transform the people in profound manner. so, a story from Svaneti. as a honest testimony.