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SFFILM Festival

Blind Dates

Directed by Levan Koguashvili

Georgia | 95

29 Apr
Tue, Apr 29, 2014 at 6:30 pm PT

Description

Stuck living at home with his parents and still single at 40, schlubby Sandro (Andro Sakvarelidze) has zero prospects when it comes to finding true love. Set-ups with women visiting from the Georgian provinces and nights out with his ever-optimistic best friend (Archil Kikodze) only make the situation seem that much more hopeless. Fate lends a hand when this history teacher runs into a former student’s mom, Manana (Ia Sukhitashvili). Their chemistry is immediate, but there’s a catch: Manana’s husband, a man with a history of violence, is getting out of prison the next day. And when Sandro inadvertently ends up chauffeuring her slippery spouse around, things quickly go from bad to worse. The winner of a special jury prize at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Levan Koguashvili’s romantic tragicomedy throws any number of obstacles at its smitten hero: pregnant refugees, interfamilial feuds, DOA dates, violent gangsters and one con man of an ex-con. But thanks to an amazing performance by Sakavarelidze, one never doubts that kindly Sandro will do the right thing regardless of what his heart wants. And like the filmmaker’s previous feature Street Days (2010), this tongue-in-cheek look at amorous interruptus balances sociopolitical commentary with a beautiful sense of bruised humanism. For those who’ve been wondering if the burgeoning Georgian New Wave would have a breakout star, look no further; for those new to the scene, this gem is quite the eye-opener. –David Fear

Director Levan Koguashvili

A native of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Levan Koguashvili studied film at the Russian State Institute of Film and New York University. He began working as a news reporter for Georgia’s first independent TV station before making several short films and the documentary Women from Georgia (2009). His first fictional feature, Street Days (2010), was the country’s official submission to that year’s Academy Awards.

Trailer

//player.vimeo.com/video/90582409?autoplay=1

Film Details

Language Georgian

Year 2013

Runtime 95

Country Georgia

Director Levan Koguashvili

Producer Levan Koguashvili, Suliko Tsulukidze, Olena Yershova

Writer Boris Frumin, Levan Koguashvili

Editor Nodar Nozadze

Cinematographer Tato Kotetishvili

Music Iakob Bobokhidze, Otar Tevdoradze

Cast Andro Sakvarelidze, Ia Sukhitashvili, Archil Kikodze