Elegy

This expressionist portrait of people living in the harsh highland region of Europe, at the bottom of the Caucasus mountain summits, is both alien and seductive. Accompanying haunting images of the village are the songs and chanted words of the people themselves. Ancient writings on birth, death, love, kindness and evil, these texts rely on their music for meaning and so cannot be translated. Director Niko Tsuladze, head of an experimental film studio in his native Georgia, has achieved an expertly paced piece of poetry. This is a film for those video-weary film buffs who want lo be mesmerised by the beauty of 35mm once more.