Venice Screenings of Georgian Film ‘The Antique’ ‘Suspended’

Venice Days, an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival, has “suspended” screenings of Georgian filmmaker Rusudan Glurjidze‘s second feature film “Antikvariati” (The Antique).

The sidebar’s organizers have canceled the press and industry screening scheduled for Aug. 28, and the public screenings have been removed from the schedule.

The move follows an emergency decree by the Court of Venice obtained by three production companies – Viva Film in Russia, Avantura Film in Croatia, and Pygmalion in Cyprus – over a copyright dispute regarding the film’s script, according to a statement issued by Venice Days.

In its statement, Venice Days – also known as Giornate degli Autori – said: “We believe, in the very spirit of Giornate degli Autori, that our chief duty, shared with the Italian filmmakers’ associations that promote our showcase, is the defense of copyright, hence the defense of the filmmaker Rusudan Glurjidze, present in Venice. We also feel that the decision of the judge at the Court of Venice must be taken into serious consideration, pending further developments.

“That said, we will do whatever is in our power, in observance of the law as well as the freedom of expression of the filmmaker, to support the existence of the work itself and its visibility in Venice over the coming days.”

It remains unclear what that “visibility” might mean in any practical sense.

Set around 18 years ago in Russia, “The Antique” touches on the deportation of thousands of Georgians from the country at the time. Sources close to the film told Variety that there may have been a desire by the Russian government to sideline the film because of its subject-matter.

According to Glurjidze, “The Antique” may have been the last film to be shot in Russia by foreign filmmakers, and was completed in the face of great difficulties.

“Initially, problems started when the Russian Ministry of Culture demanded the removal of multiple scenes. The Georgian team refused, leading to attempts to obstruct the shoot and, ultimately, the confiscation of the film material at the border,” she said. “Fortunately, two copies were saved. After this, they started to block the film.”

Glurjidze’s directorial feature debut, “House of Others,” premiered in 2016 in the East of the West competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, taking home the Grand Prix, and became Georgia’s candidate in the 89th Academy Awards for best foreign language film.

She commented: “In my previous work, I’ve ventured into the complex political landscape of Georgia, shedding light on themes that often remain obscured in Western Europe. ‘The House of Others’ delves into the haunting aftermath of the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, exploring the fractured lives of two families against a backdrop of conflict.

“‘The Antique’ boldly portrays the brutal and unlawful deportation of my compatriots, encapsulated through the lives of four central figures: Medea, Vadim Vadimich, Lado and Peter. Like ‘The House of Others,’ this film intertwines fiction with stark reality, delicately yet powerfully addressing the intricate and often painful realities of immigration while presenting a raw depiction of Russia’s imperial cruelty.”

Salome Demiura, Sergey Dreyden and Vladimir Vlovichenkov lead the cast.

The producers are Zurab Magalashvili, Manana Shevardnadze, Andrey Epifanov, Tanya Petrik, Jussi Myllyniemi, Uschi Feldges, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tatiana Detlofson.

The lead production company is Cinetech. The co-production companies are Cinetrain, Whitepoint Digital and Basis Berlin Filmproduction. MPM Premium holds international sales rights to the film.