Corn Island is a drama told almost without words, its visual storytelling expressing the dispassionate power of nature, the politics and passions of humankind, and the endless struggle to survive. Set on the Inguri river, the ebb and flow of tides and seasons brings a gift: small islands form in the river, the ground rich and fertile.
An old peasant comes to the island, bringing supplies in a small boat, hoping to grow a crop of corn. His granddaughter, poised on the precipice of adolescence, joins him, bundled into a blue jacket in the still cool spring air, clutching a doll. Together, in silence, they begin the work of setting up a temporary home and preparing the soil. Yet this river flowing between Georgia and Abkhazia forms the border between these two countries, and there is much that the old man and his granddaughter will discover and have to contend with before the season is over.
It is an unusual film, moving in the rhythms of nature, vibrant with life, telling a tale of endurance. There is more than meets the eye in this film, it is no surprise that it has garnered accolades: Best Film at Karlovy Vary 2014, Best Original Music by Israeli composer Josef Bardanashvili, and Audience Favorite at Films in the Arava Desert 2014.
Corn Island is currently showing in Israeli theatres. Recommended!
Corn Island (Simindis kundzuli)
Georgia/Germany/France/Czech Republic/Kazakhstan/Hungary; 101 min; 2014; Georgian, Abkhazian, Russian)
Directed by George Ovashvili. Screenplay: Nugzar Shataidze, George Ovashvili, Roelof Jan Minneboo; Cinematography: Elemer Ragalyi; Editing: Sun-Min Kim; Music: Josef Bardanashvili; Production designer: Ariunsaichan Dawaachu; Costume designer: Ivana Axmanova; Cast: Ilyas Salman, Mariam Buturishvili, Irakli Samushia, Tamer Levent.
