Tear Gas: Fiction Film Shot Inside Real Georgian Protests Premieres at Locarno
Uta Beria, a filmmaker from Georgia, is set to unveil her film 'Tear Gas' at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on August 12, competing in the Filmmakers of the Present category. The film, which was shot amid anti-government demonstrations in Tbilisi, centers on a 16-year-old girl and her family. Known for her previous work 'Negative Numbers', Beria encountered challenges with funding and alleged censorship from the Georgian National Film Center (GNFC), which not only withheld support but also issued threats of sanctions. 'Tear Gas' has already garnered two accolades at IFFR Pro: the HBF Empowerment Award (€10,000) and the Outward Gaze Award (€10,000). Produced by Nino Chichua, Anna Khazaradze, and Beria, it stars Taisia Eradze and others. Beria describes the film as 'an act of resistance', and the premiere is confirmed to take place as scheduled.
Key facts
- World premiere on Aug. 12 at Locarno Film Festival in Filmmakers of the Present competition
- Film shot inside real anti-government protests in Tbilisi, Georgia
- Protests have continued for more than 600 days
- Protests are against the Foreign Agents Law, also called 'the Russia law'
- Film took five years to make
- Georgian National Film Center withheld second-stage financing and sent a threatening letter
- Won two awards at IFFR Pro: HBF Empowerment Award and Outward Gaze Award, each €10,000
- Director Uta Beria calls the film 'an act of resistance'
Entities
Artists
- Uta Beria
- Nino Chichua
- Anna Khazaradze
- Guillaume Dreyfus
- Delphine Schmit
- Daniel Tenné
- Junus Baker
- Taisia Eradze
- Mzia Arabuli
- Gaga Shishinashvili
- Kato Kalatozishvili
- Boris Andronikashvili
- Goga Devdariani
- Nodar Nozadze
- Olly Osborne
Institutions
- Locarno Film Festival
- International Film Festival Rotterdam
- IFFR Pro
- HBF Empowerment Award
- Outward Gaze Award
- PJLF Arts Fund
- Georgian National Film Center
- The Hollywood Reporter
Locations
- Tbilisi
- Georgia
- Locarno
- Switzerland
- Russia