I See The Sun

The terror of war breaking out, the unfathomable reality of a new era: Today, Gogoberidze's second film about the "Great Patriotic War," which shakes a Georgian village, will be viewed with new eyes—perhaps with those of its gentle heroine. Khatia is blind and sees only two things: the sun before her and the orphan boy Sosoia, whose morality and love she feels. He leads her on a donkey through a world of profoundly human encounters.

The wounded, deserters, affected villagers, and the pervasive damage to life caused by the Second World War raging in the distance—these are the elements of this story. As in her debut film, gazes and the act of seeing itself become central themes, serving as an allegory for humanity and hope, despite everything. According to Gogoberidze, this is not an auteur film but rather a poetic cinematic engagement with author Nodar Dumbadze, whose unpretentious subtlety she greatly admired.

(Gaby Babić/Barbara Wurm)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum