In Bloom (2013)

The political situation in Georgia is urgent, and ever-shifting. To provide context for the screening, we open the evening with a short video contribution by Tbilisi-based journalist Margarita Antidze, from the independent media collective Project 64 (პროექტი 64).

In this exclusive news-item, Margarita shares her personal perspective on the current state of Georgia: on protest and repression, on resistance, hope, and the power of independent voices.

The video will be screened on the big screen prior to the main film In Bloom (2013). A rare chance to experience the film with fresh insight, straight from the heart of Tbilisi.

About In Bloom

Set in 1992, a year after Georgia’s independence, In Bloom follows Eka and Natia turning 14 in a fragile country tainted by violence. The shouts of the national radio set the scene, screaming “every Georgian in the country should be armed” while Eka is on her way to school. For Natia, violence is found at home too, through an abusive and alcoholic figure she calls “dad.” In these struggles, Eka and Natia find themselves. Sharing similar family issues, the problems of a typical teenager, yet opposite personalities, their friendship will become their strongest weapon.

In Bloom is a tense, gritty, and endlessly compelling tale that follows Eka and Natia through the grey colors of Tbilisi. Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß crafted this unforgettable coming-of-age drama heavily influenced by Ekvtimishvili’s childhood experiences. This makes the film soaked in realism, with a minimalist palette and silences that speak louder than the national radio. The title “In Bloom” is a metaphor for this: a country trying to rise from its authoritarian regime and two teenage girls learning to leave childhood behind.

The performances of Lika Babluani (Eka) and Mariam Bokeria (Natia) are remarkably strong. Despite being so young, they deliver incredible portraits of what it means to channel love through difficult choices. Even their moments of conflict serve as a way to help each other grow, filled with a maturity far beyond their young eyes. All of this culminates in Eka’s dancing scene, a beautiful metaphor for supporting your friends unconditionally, even when they take the wrong path.

The film premiered at the Berlinale in 2013, winning the CICAE Art Cinema Award, and went on to screen at over 40 festivals worldwide. Now the film offers a chance to reflect on present-day Georgia, with an urgent and ever-shifting political situation marked by protest and repression, and where violence is still never far from the surface. With its quiet power and emotional weight, In Bloom will show you a world you wouldn’t wish any girl to celebrate her 14th birthday in, while making you reflect on the real power of friendship.