Blackberries are often the last berry to bloom in the summer season.

Based on feminist writer Tamta Melashvili’s celebrated novel, this subtle gem follows tenacious Etero, a 48-year-old woman who lives humbly in a provincial village in Georgia. Spending her days selling household goods to the local women, dreaming of a peaceful retirement and crafting jam from blackberries foraged by the river, Etero appears content and protective of her independent way of life – despite the gossip and judgement from fellow villagers. Until, unpredictably, Etero finds romance with a local deliveryman, leading to a passionate sexual awakening and signalling the long-forgotten possibility of a different life.

Georgian filmmaker Elene Naveriani returns to IFFR with their third feature, Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, supported by the festival’s Hubert Bals Fund for ground-breaking projects. Radical in its restraint and humane in its complexity, this portrait of an older woman’s place in her circle of society excels in probing the delicate nuances of tradition and modernity in present-day Georgia. Featuring an engrossing lead performance from Eka Chavleishvili and a patient sensitivity to its subject matter, Naveriani’s film sheds essential light on a strong and beautiful life that is often left invisible.

– Sophie Tupholme