Corn Island

George Ovashvili : 2014
Simindis kundzuli

Swollen by the rains of spring, the Inguri River rushes towards the Black Sea, depositing rocks and soil in the Kholketi lowlands. An island is formed in the middle of the river. It is a naturally fertile place, not only for wildlife but also for an old man who ventures on to the newly created island to grow the corn that will see him through the next winter. With the help of his sixteen-year-old granddaughter, the old man manages to sow the corn and build a shelter in which they live a peaceful life in harmony with the sounds and smells of nature. Their idyll comes to an end when the girl finds a young man hiding among the cornstalks, apparently fleeing from captivity. She decides to keep the boy hidden from her grandfather. The boy becomes the embodiment of a life away from the tiny corn island that suddenly feels even smaller than it already is. When the boy's pursuers arrive at the island, the girl is unable to hide him any longer, and he is taken from the island into an uncertain future. For the girl, the island is now a prison, and she is desperate to leave. But first the corn must be harvested before the autumn rains cause the river to swell like it did in the spring. George Ovashvili's second feature was winner of the Grand Prix and the Ecumenical Jury Award when it premiered at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2014.