Iosseliani is the Georgian director cinephiles keep rediscovering, and Pastorale is the film where he stopped writing about individuals and started writing about communities - a string quartet rehearsing on a veranda while a mountain village ignores them. It took the FIPRESCI Prize at Berlin and has just been restored in 4K. If you want the one screening this weekend that will not come around again soon, this is it.
What to expect
A 95-minute Georgian feature in a new 4K restoration, with an introduction from Metrograph programmer Edo Choi setting up where the film sits in Iosseliani's career. The crowd skews toward repertory regulars. Other titles from the retrospective, including an early shorts program, screen the same weekend if you want to build a double bill.
Good to know
- Metrograph is at 7 Ludlow Street; the F to East Broadway and the B and D to Grand Street are closest.
- The film is subtitled, so pick a seat where you can read comfortably.
- The programmer's introduction adds a few minutes at the start, so do not cut your arrival fine.
- Other Iosseliani titles screen the same weekend, including an early shorts program, if you want a double feature.
- The upstairs bar and bookstore make a good gap between two screenings.
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Common questions
Do I need to know Iosseliani's work first?
No. Metrograph's programmer introduces the film, and Pastorale stands on its own. It is widely treated as the pivot point in his career, which makes it a reasonable place to start.
Is it subtitled?
Yes. It is a Georgian film, shown in a new 4K restoration commissioned by Pastorale Productions and distributed by The Cinema Guild.
How long is the screening?
The feature runs 95 minutes; add a few minutes for the introduction, so plan on roughly two hours door to door.
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