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.
| 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 |
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival,[1] where it won the Special Jury Prize.[3]
Premise
editNina, 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
editFollowing 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
editApril 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 the 81st Venice International Film Festival.[8] It has been selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 under the World Cinema section.[9]
Reception
editCritical reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]
Accolades
edit| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice International Film Festival | 7 September 2024 | Golden Lion | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [12] |
| Special Jury Prize | Won | ||||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award | April | Won | [13] |
| BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Best Film | Pending | [14] | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Film | Pending | [15] [16] | |
| Best Director | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Pending | |||
| Best Screenplay | Pending | ||||
| Best Performance | Ia Sukhitashvili | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Arseni Khachaturan | Pending |
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.
- ^ Deb, Deepshikha (2024-09-30). "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Unveils 2024 Official Lineup". High On Films. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
- ^ "April". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "April". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 17, 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.
- ^ "Todos los ganadores del Festival de San Sebastián 2024". Escribiendo Cine. 28 September 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2024-10-16). "'All We Imagine as Light' and 'April' Lead Nominations for Asia Pacific Screen Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
