Since Otar Left

In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, three generations of women share a cramped apartment: feisty 90-year-old matriarch Eka (Gorintin), her long-suffering daughter Marina (Khomassouridze), and granddaughter Ada (Droukarova), a student. Determined to emigrate to Paris where Eka’s son Otar now lives, the Francophile trio speak French at home. Power outages and the daily absurdities of life in the former Soviet state fade away when they receive letters from the distant Otar. When Otar is killed, the younger two hatch an intricate deception to protect Eka. Beruccelli was an Assistant Director for Kieslowski, Tavernier and Otar Iosseliani; she brings this sensibility plus her experience in documentary to create a human, realist film laced with gentle humour and deep emotion.