Beginning

Beginning (Dasatskisi), the debut feature of director Dea Kulumbegashvili, is a Georgian film about a Jehovah's Witness community in a small provincial town whose place of worship is set on fire by extremists, and the collapse of the familiar world of Yana, the wife of the community's leader. Though fictional, the film draws on a real, documented history of violence against Jehovah's Witnesses in Georgia; in the late 1990s, an excommunicated Orthodox priest led a series of violent raids against religious minorities. The film is shot with long, static takes and a deliberately distanced cinematographic approach. Beginning achieved a remarkable sweep at the San Sebastián Film Festival, winning four major awards at once: the Golden Shell for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. Who it's for: anyone curious about a Georgian film grounded in a real, documented history of persecution against a religious minority, which swept four major awards at once at San Sebastián. Who it's not for: those wanting fast editing and clear exposition, since the film relies on long, static takes and a deliberately distanced cinematography.