Beginning

"Life goes by as if I weren't there," Yana says. She once gave up her career as an actress to marry David, the leader of a small community of Jehovah's witnesses somewhere in the Georgian countryside. She experiences her life as meaningless and empty, but her not so empathic husband David only focusses on his church. Extremists have set fire to the church building. When David goes away to raise money for a new church building, Yana stays behind. In his absence, detective Alex shows up and starts asking rather intrusive questions. His whole demeanour makes clear that he does not hold women in high regard.

In her strong debut film, Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili shows what it is like for a woman to live in a completely patriarchal society. She does so in a style that calls to mind the work of Carlos Reygadas. Not entirely coincidental, as Reygadas turns out to be one of the film's executive producers.