April (2024 film)
| April | |
|---|---|
| Georgian | აპრილი |
| Directed by | Déa Kulumbegashvili |
| Written by | Déa Kulumbegashvili |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Arseni Khachaturan |
| Edited by | Jacopo Ramella Pajrin |
| Music by | Matthew Herbert |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Pyramide Distribution (France) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
| Countries | Georgia Italy France |
| Language | Georgian |
| Budget | €2 million |
April (Georgian: აპრილი, romanized: ap'rili) is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Déa Kulumbegashvili.[2] It stars Ia Sukhitashvili, Kakha Kintsurashvili and Merab Ninidze.
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival,[1] where it won the Special Jury Prize.[3]
Premise
[edit]Nina, an obstetrician in rural Georgia who aids patients seeking abortions despite legal prohibition, must defend her values and actions when she is accused of negligence and subject to investigation.[2]
Cast
[edit]- Ia Sukhitashvili as Nina
- Kakha Kintsurashvili as David
- Merab Ninidze as the chief physician
Production
[edit]Following the success of her first feature film Beginning, Kulumbegashvili was awarded a 2022 Baumi Script Development Award to begin work on her next feature, then titled Historia, about a Georgian obstetrician who provides illegal abortions.[4] That December, Cineuropa reported that filming would commence the following March with financial support from Arte France Cinéma.[5]
Release
[edit]April was acquired for international sales by Goodfellas, then known as Wild Bunch International. By December 2022, the project was slated for a 2024 release date, though Screen Daily reported in May 2023 that the film was expected to premiere at that year's Cannes Film Festival.[6][7]
In July 2024, April was announced as a main competition entry at that year's Venice International Film Festival.[8]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]The film holds a 90% "Fresh" score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on ten reviews with an average rating of 7.6/10.[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 89 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice International Film Festival | 7 September 2024 | Golden Lion | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [11] |
| Special Jury Prize | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Biennale Cinema 2024 | April". La Biennale di Venezia. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Those Who Find Me". Goodfellas. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Tartaglione, Andreas Wiseman,Nancy (2024-09-07). "Venice Winners: Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' Wins The Golden Lion; Also Wins For Nicole Kidman, Brady Corbet, 'I'm Still Here' & More". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Roxborough, Scott. "Directors Dea Kulumbegashvili, Visar Morina Win Baumi Script Development Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien. "Arte France Cinéma supports Alain Guiraudie's Miséricorde". Cineuropa. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Lavallée, Eric. "FOREIGN FILM NEWSDea Kulumbegashvili's "Those Who Find Me" & Alain Guiraudie's "Miséricorde" Aiming for 2024". Ion Cinema. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Leffler, Rebecca. "Goodfellas unveils Cannes 2023 slate, includes starry period drama 'The Flood', 'Inside' with Guy Pearce (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Billington, Alex. "81st Venice Film Festival Selection - Guadagnino, Kurzel, Almodóvar". FirstShowing. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "April (2024)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "April". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise. "Venice Film Festival Lineup: 'Joker 2' With Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie's 'Maria' and Luca Guadagnino's Daniel Craig-Led 'Queer' to Debut in Competition". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2024.