Rating: NR
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 04/09/2004(USA
Release Date: 01/25/2005
SubTitles: English/French
Dubbed: French/Rus
Sound: DDS2.0
Run Time: 99 Minutes
Flags: Adult Language, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: Zeitgeist Films
A family is forced into deception for the sake of their matriarch in this poignant
drama. Three generations of women share a tiny apartment in Tbilisi, a Georgia city that has been devastated by war, political instability, and a ruined economy.
Eka (
Esther Gorintin) is an elderly woman whose health is failing, but her will remains strong and she holds sway over the household.
Eka's daughter,
Marina (
Nino Khomassouridze), is a middle-aged woman who is still dealing with the devastating circumstances of her childhood and the death of her husband. And
Marina's daughter,
Ada (
Dinara Droukarova), is a college student who feels trapped by her circumstances and abraded by her lack of privacy; she has a lover, but since she must share a bed with her mother, they can only make love in his car. The light of
Eka's life is her son,
Otar, who has fled Tbilisi and lives in Paris.
Otar writes frequently and sends money as often as he can, and while
Marina resents her mother's obvious favoritism toward her brother, she and
Ada realize how important his letters are to her. While
Eka is visiting friends,
Marina and
Ada receive devastating news --
Otar has died in Paris, and since he wasn't carrying his visa when his body was found, he's been buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Afraid this news would be a severe blow to
Eka's poor health,
Marina doesn't tell her mother what has happened, and
Ada begins writing letters as
Otar to maintain the illusion that he's alive. The ruse works well enough until
Eka announces she's raised enough money by selling her possessions to visit her son in France.
Depuis Qu'Otar Est Parti... (aka
Since Otar Left) is the first feature film from director
Julie Bertuccelli; it received an enthusiastic reception when it was screened at the
2003 Cannes Film Festival.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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