Baltic premiere

Panopticon

Local title
Panoptikum
Director
George Sikharulidze
Country
Georgia, Italy, France, Romania
Year
2024
Festival
24th Youth and Children's Film Festival
Programme
Youth Programme
Genre
drama, youth film
Subject
individual vs society, love, religion, sexuality, soul-searching, self-realisation, coming of age, alienation, youth

When repressed feelings and curiosity suddenly take hold.

With a mother working abroad illegally and a grandma too old to substitute a parent, Sandro is left practically alone after his father’s departure. To fulfil a new obligation as a son of a future monk, he must turn to religion himself. Without realising it, he becomes oppressed by the invisible spiritual surveillance of his father and God that shapes his behaviour. This sudden change comes at the peak of Sandro’s sexual awakening and creates a powerful conflict between body and soul. Convinced that sex before marriage is sinful, he represses his desires towards his high-school sweetheart, Tina, and instead starts to manifest all this sexual frustration in inappropriate ways, like touching random girls in public and exposing himself to the mother of his football teammate, Lasha. While developing an erotic fixation towards Lasha’s mother, Sandro easily falls under Lasha’s influence as he is slightly older and very charming. But he is also a nationalist, who quickly lures Sandro into a rising Christian Fascist movement. Sandro tries to reconcile the opposing forces within his heart. He fights for survival and tries to make sense of the notions of faith, love, and manhood at the most formative time of his life - a trial that will eventually prove to be a revelation of his humanity.

Recommended age 14+

Director
George Sikharulidze
Screenwriter
George Sikharulidze
Cast
Data Chachua, Ia Sukhitashvili, Malkhaz Abuladze, Marita Meskhoradze, Vakhtang Kedeladze, Salome Gelenidze, Andro Japaridze, Ketevan Shervashidze
Producer
Vladimer Katcharava
Cinematographer
Oleg Mutu
Music
Chiara Costanza
Sound
Alexandru Dumitru
Runtime
Language
Georgian
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
George Sikharulidze

George Sikharulidze is a Georgian-American filmmaker. He holds a BS in media communications from New York University and an MFA in film directing from Columbia University. His short films include “The Fish that Drowned” (2014), which premiered at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival, “Red Apples” (2016) and “A New Year” (2018), which were shown at the Toronto International Film Festival and “Fatherland”, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. His first feature film “Panopticon” (2024) was developed at the Cinéfondation Residence of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Torino Script Lab 2019 and Torino Feature Lab 2020. George has taught screenwriting and directing at New York University and Columbia University. He is currently a Professor of Film at the University of Notre Dame.

Fish that Drowned (2014), Red Apples (2016), A New Year (2018), Panopticon (Panoptikum, 2024)

Just Film is presented by

Screenings

5th Lux Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening030502 / Panoptikum
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Solaris
Screening061203 / Panoptikum
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
5th Lux Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening080501 / Panoptikum
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A guestsVladimer Katcharava (Producer), Archil Gelovani (Producer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer
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