MAGDANA'S DONKEY: Georgian Independence Day Special Screening

Tengiz Abuladze & Rezo Chkheidze | 1955 | Georgia | 1h11m | Presented in the original Georgian audio with English subtitles

MAGDANA’S DONKEY is one of the foundational works of Georgian cinema, a short, direct and deeply affecting film about poverty, dignity, and the cruelty of broken institutions.

The story follows Magdana, a poor widow raising her children in a Georgian village. When the family finds an abandoned donkey and nurses it back to health, the animal becomes more than a possession. It becomes a small chance at survival. But once the donkey regains its strength, its former owner returns to claim it, dragging the family into a legal dispute where justice and ownership prove to be very different things.

Made in 1955 by Tengiz Abuladze and Rezo Chkheidze, MAGDANA’S DONKEY marked a major turning point for Georgian cinema after the Stalin era. Its power lies in its simplicity. The film doesn’t need grand speeches or historical spectacle. It shows how ordinary people are trapped by systems that rarely see them clearly, and how moral truth can be obvious to everyone except the people officially in charge of deciding it.

Presented as part of FOMO’s Georgian Independence Day program, I've included MAGDANA’S DONKEY because it speaks to a quieter kind of independence: the right to dignity, fairness, and a life not crushed by corrupt authority. It remains one of Georgian cinema’s most important early works by one of Georgia's most loved and respected filmmakers, and a perfect opening film for a day dedicated to Georgian memory, identity, and survival.

FOOD AND DRINK POLICY: FOMO Cinema Lounge Bar opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day and closes at 02:00, serving a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic refreshments including coffee and tea, as well as fresh hot popcorn! Outside food is allowed in the bar but not in the cinema. No alcohol from outside allowed. All guests are invited to arrive early and stay late!

LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.

HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to Level 1. Signage on the door. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17933106294029235/