Simindis kundzuli
Kukuřičný ostrov
Directed by:
George OvashviliCinematography:
Elemér RagályiComposer:
Josef BardanashviliPlots(1)
The Enguri River forms the border between Georgia and the breakaway Republic of Abkhazia. Tensions between the two nations have not abated since the war of 1992–93. Every spring the river brings fertile soil from the Caucasus down to the plains of Abkhazia and northwestern Georgia, creating tiny island: small clusters of no man's land. The islands are havens for wildlife but occasionally also for man. Our story begins when an old Abkhaz farmer sets foot on one of the islands. The old man builds a hut for him and his teenage granddaughter, he ploughs the earth and together they sow corn. As his granddaughter blossoms into womanhood and the corn ripens, the old man is confronted by the inescapable cycle of life. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
Corn Island is visual “back-to-basics” relaxation, thematically somewhat close to Malick’s The Thin Red Line. War territory, a small island on the lake, inhabited by a wrinkled grandfather and innocent teen granddaughter. Building a wooden shack, planting corn, fishing. Little music and almost no dialogue. Only an occasional storm, a sailboat with soldiers, and a nearby shooting in the woods contrast with the calm poetics of the film. The film is ingenious in its use of widescreen and, despite the limited space in which the film takes place, it’s never boring. I haven’t enjoyed a film with so little happening in it in a long while. Bravo.
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I am not at all surprised that this movie won the Crystal Globe in Karlovy Vary. There actually isn’t much talking, but story-wise, there is so much happening. Exemplary is the choice of the location for the “corn island”, where all of the 100 minutes take place. I haven’t come across such beautiful camerawork in a long time. I really wasn’t indifferent towards the island despite it being an insignificant land, which suddenly appeared in the middle of a river on the border of two states, which some people wouldn’t even consider to be states, let alone with a border. Great poetics, unique experience. It was a pity, though, that I had to guess a lot of things. It took me a while to understand what was going on in the old man’s head and before I understood why he did all of it. But cinematically it was flawless.
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A folklore ballad about fighting the elements, coexistence with nature and the awakening of a girl's body. Conservative directing style, supple lyrical shooting, typologically selected main roles and impressive design. The only thing to complain about is the instructional music and a certain form of leatherness, which certainly goes hand in hand with the genre, but at the same time can be grasped much more elegantly (e.g., the similarly tuned film Bal by Semi Kaplanoglu). [65%]
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An extraordinary film - a clever metaphor of the life cycle and a charming story to boot (although it is a little too long). Both of the actors in the main roles are chosen in an absolutely exemplary way, and I would be able to watch them for a long time, even if they were just on a photo, for example. George Ovašhvili gets an incredible amount going in the minimal space that he has, although the story he tells is essentially minimalist (but for the protagonists of the film, it is the most important thing in the world). A beautiful camera and impressive (even intoxicating) directing artfully dosing the tempo, and the whole idea on which the film is built, make Corn Island one of my favorites for the main award of the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary (2014).
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