Tbilisi-Tbilisi

A young filmmaker named Dato has no money to make a movie, so he hangs out drinking and brooding all day in the capital of the former Soviet republic, Georgia. He is also writing a screenplay. Excerpts from his script, shot in black-and-white, are cut into his story. All the stories, including the framing story about Dato and his friends, are interwoven so that they become one long narrative about contemporary life in Georgia.

Directed by Levan Zakareishvili, Tbilisi-Tbilisi leans on a strong ensemble — Giorgi Maskharashvili, Eka Nizharadze, Rusiko Kobiashvili — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2005.