Levan Koguashvili hails warm reception for “Guria” at Venice world premiere

Levan Koguashvili, director of the Georgian film Guria, on Thursday reflected on the film’s world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, saying it had received a warm reception and lengthy standing ovations from audiences.

The film is being screened in the Venice Spotlight section, with the premiere attended by festival guests, film industry representatives and Georgian officials.

“The film’s official premiere took place yesterday and was very well received. The audience included not only members of the film crew, but also actors, producers, co-producers, representatives of the funds that supported the project, as well as officials from the Ministry of Culture, the National Film Center and other organisations that financed the film. We received long standing ovations”, Koguashvili said.

The director also noted that the Georgian National Film Center would submit Guria as Georgia’s official entry for the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, adding that preparations for the Oscar campaign were already under way.

“We gained valuable experience with Brighton during its Oscar campaign. When a film is selected, it becomes a responsibility. There will be screenings in the United States, and much will depend on the campaign strategy, including who represents the film and how the campaign is organised. Naturally, this also requires significant financial resources”, he said.

Koguashvili added that he and his colleagues were familiar with the demands of such campaigns, describing them as an integral part of a filmmaker’s professional life.

“Sometimes you would rather spend your time writing or editing, but once a film is submitted for the Oscars, you have an obligation to support it as much as possible. We will do our best to represent Georgian cinema with dignity, because this year we are part of the Oscar race”, the director said.