The debut feature from Georgian writer-director Dea Kulumbegashvili, Beginning is an unflinching drama about a Jehovah's Witness who undergoes a dramatic crisis of faith. Unsettling and visually arresting, Georgia's official submission for the 2021 Academy Awards marks the arrival of a stunning new talent in world cinema.
Set in a provincial town at the foot of the Caucasus mountains, the film tells the story of Yana (Ia Sukhitashvili), the wife of a Jehovah's Witness leader whose community is under attack from an extremist group. In the midst of this conflict, and with her husband away, Yana's inner discontent grows as she struggles to make sense of the world around her. Meanwhile, the intrusion of a local detective in her home has dramatic and devastating consequences.
Beginning Extras: Q&A conversation with Dea Kulumbegashvili and Luca Guadagnino. Pre-order at the link above.
