Nandauri – a film of extraordinary beauty

There are eight films competing in the Haggiag Competition for best Israeli feature film at this year’s Jerusalem Film Festival. The atmosphere is great, even though there aren’t so many international guests. I have already seen about half of the Israeli features, and I have a few favorites, including Nandauri, a debut feature film directed by Eti Tsicko.

Nandauri is an extraordinarily beautiful film about two people coming together for a chance encounter – two people who live in very different worlds. This is a film filled with stunning views, wonderful characters, and complicated issues about relations between men and women.

Marina is a stylish woman of Georgian descent who arrives on a rainy night to a far-flung village in the mountains of Georgia (in the Former Soviet Union). This region of the country is stunningly beautiful.  When Marina’s parents left and took her to Israel as a child, she was forced to give up her dog, which is portrayed in a wonderful scene of childhood memory.  Today, she is a sophisticated lawyer, forced to confront her past, during this trip to Georgia.

She has come looking for a boy, the son of her client, a woman who left this godforsaken town for Israel, years ago.  When she left, she was very young, and she left her son behind in the hands of her brother, Dato.

Marina succeeds in convincing Dato, the boy’s guardian, to take her to Tbilisi to obtain a birth certificate for the boy.  A road trip ensues, where they argue incessantly, meet some wonderful people along the way who help them (and represent the wonderful and positive culture and people of Georgia today), and they end up sharing a bed for the night.

I loved this film – the compelling characters, the complexity of the story, and the extraordinary severity of the scenery and the life. The two conflicting cultures are portrayed by the stylish woman lawyer in juxtaposition with the dying and somewhat demented grandfather who is hovering in the background throughout.

Nandauri is available from Ayelet Kait at Lama Films, ayelet@lamafilms.com

 

Georgia My Love

Israel is a land of many cultures and traditions. People have immigrated from literally dozens and dozens of countries. For some reason, not all are treated equally and with respect. In fact, there is a strikingly negative stereotype surrounding the Jews who immigrated to Israel from Georgia (in the Caucasus) and it's not an easy stigma to grow up with.

The film, Georgia My Love (directed by Noga Gamlieli), takes a look at Maya, a 25-year-old woman who came to Israel at the age of 12. She is dedicated to reviving authentic Georgian culture and showing its beauty for all to enjoy. Maya works at a bridal salon doing make-up during the day. But after work she is transformed into an amazing singer who takes vocal lessons and is producing her own disk. She sings hauntingly beautiful songs of poetry and love.

Her sister, Manana, who has a little girl from a failed, arranged marriage, is a dancer, and they perform together.

Together with other members of their family and friends, the two talk about the ridicule they received in Israel as children who immigrated from Georgia and especially how people still make fun of their names.

Maya and Manana are two sisters, both very talented women performing beautiful, traditional melodies at cultural events in Israel. Two women on the road to success.

This documentary (2007, 53 minutes) is available from Dragomanfilms.