BRIGHTON 4th
GEORGIA
Director: Levan Koguashvili
Cast: Levan Tediashvili, Giorgi Tabidze, Nadezhda Mikhalkova, Kakhi Kavsadze, Yuriy Zur, Temur Gvalia, Laura Rekhviashvili, Tsutsa Kapanadze, Tolepbergen Baisakalov
Genre: Comedy, Drama
96 minutes – Georgian, Russian, English, Kazakh with English subtitles – 2021
In this portrait of parental sacrifice and the love of a father for his son, former wrestler Kakhi (played by real-life Olympic champion Levan Tediashvili) travels from the Republic of Georgia to visit his son Sosi in Brooklyn, New York. Sosi stays in a shabby boarding house populated by a colourful group of fellow Georgian immigrants. Kakhi sets himself to helping his hapless son get out of debt, leading to situations as often comic as they are dire.
A character-driven tragicomedy with surprising emotional weight, Brighton 4th offers an authentic look at immigrant hardships and celebratory joys. The mix of professional and non-professional actors adds to the film’s naturalism. Brighton 4th was Georgia’s submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.
One of the reasons why I wanted to make this film was this place. We shot in a real boarding house in Brighton Beach; I moved there to live with these guys. This world was very interesting to me: it’s tragic, it’s funny. I just wanted to show this community – it was one of the cinematic assignments that I gave myself. It’s a group portrait.
Levan Koguashvili, Director of Brighton 4th
The melancholy-infused narrative neatly balances rueful humour with genuine sweetness.
Alissa Simon, Variety
Layered with rich cultural texture beneath its familiar setup, this gritty Georgian drama finds a fresh perspective on the immigrant experience and the elusiveness of the American Dream.
Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue
A gorgeously cinematic familial tragicomedy that constantly and movingly challenges expectations.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times
As a film of family and community, Brighton 4th brims with heart.
Tom Long, Detroit News
