Rezo

The rich inner world of famous Georgian theater and film director, artist and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze is as fantastic as the animation into which he has poured this story of his life. Rezo’s director son Levan "Leo" Gabriadze, who previously made the horror film Unfriended (2014), leaves it to his father to talk about a life suffused with magical thinking. With offbeat humor, Rezo Gabriadze sees the world as if in a fever dream—one in which it's quite natural to see a rusty tractor parked beside Swan Lake or photos in newspapers moving about—you might just find yourself smoking with a frog and chatting about how tough life can be. Alternately solemn and light-hearted, tragic and surreal, the story covers a huge assortment of subjects: yes, there's the war, but there's also an incredible story about a love letter, and an argument about the location of a toilet. Political events take second place here, despite Gabriadze’s puppet theater being an attempt to find greater freedom beyond the censor’s gaze. This passionate and charming storyteller uses his animated imagery to pull us into his highly personal vision of the world.