CITIZEN SAINT
GEORGIA
Director: Tinatin Kajrishvili
Cast: Levan Berikashvili, George Babluani, Mari Kitia, Gia Burjanadze
Genre: Drama, Satire
100 minutes: Georgian with English subtitles; 2023
Rating: 13 V
On the main square of a mining town stands a cross depicting a saint, regarded by the local miners as their protector. One day, the cross is taken down for repair and the statue of the saint suddenly vanishes. When a mysterious stranger appears, the superstitious residents believe the saint is now among them, their very own municipal Messiah. Shortly after celebrating his presence, a series of miracles create more chaos than good, and they lose hope; ordinary man can’t protect them from misfortunes.
In this satirical parable by Tinatin Kajrishvili, she wonders what it is exactly that people want to believe in. Do saints have greater significance as inanimate symbols, or do they have the right to exist as living human beings? Krum Rodriguez’s exceptional black and white lensing brings dystopian grandeur to the remote Georgian countryside, underscoring the oppression of life in the mining town and also the absurdity of the emerging situation. Citizen Saint was Georgia’s submission to the 2024 Academy Awards.
A flesh-and-blood saint causes chaos for a superstitious mountain community in Tinatin Kajrishvili’s darkly satirical, bleakly beautiful fable.
Stephen Dalton, The Film Verdict
“An incredible story of great originality, about false idols. The mise-en-scène and cinematography unanimously amazed the jury. A totally accomplished film with elements of magical realism, shifting from humour to terror.”
CinEast Jury, Luxembourg, where Citizen Saint won the Grand Prize.
The evocatively shot black and white scorcher sees faith serve as a metaphor for how we engage with cultural totems.
RogerEbert.com
Sardonic, painterly, and deliberately paced; this is classic arthouse cinema!
Jessica Kiang, Variety
