Uzhmuri/უჟმური (Nutsa Gogoberidze, 1934, Georgia/USSR) + Short (We Are (At) Home, Kyrgyzstan)

Scottish premiere

Banned by the Soviet authorities, the first Caucasus feature directed by a woman documents a mystical world on the verge of extinction. Uzhmuri was commissioned to celebrate the Communists’ drive to drain the Mingrelian swamps inhabited by the treacherous spirits Uzhmuri, according to local beliefs. Its magical realist style and equivocal storytelling undermine this message.

Short: We Are (At) Home (dir. Shakhzoda Mirakova)

The film presents the untold stories of Luli, the Central Asian Roma people, and shows their resilience and fight for their rightful place in society. Those struggles are demonstrated through a Luli family that serves as a collective representation of Luli communities spread all across regions of Central Asia.

The 2024 edition of Samizdat is supported by Screen Scotland’s National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Fund and Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible, English subtitles, Pay-what-you-can tickets (£0-£8)

If you want to attend this screening but find it unaffordable, you may be able to have the cost of your ticket, commute, and/or childcare covered by the Audience Access Fund — see here for further details.

Content notes: Images of people and animals in distress, depictions of poverty.

Access notes: Black & white cinematography, no sound, fast editing; colourful and bright images