Cassavetes Film Screening & Guest Lecture - FOMO Indi Film Fest
Thursday 5. March at 19:30 - 23:00
FOMO Secret Cinema, Tbilisi
John Cassavetes | 1963 | USA | 1h42m | English language with English subtitles
A CHILD IS WAITING and A SECRET MAN are presented as part of the week-long Independent Film Fest at FOMO Secret Cinema, Tbilisi, showcasing the best emerging filmmaking talent from across the globe.
This special double film event begins with Georgian filmmaker Tornike Bziava presenting his 27 minute short A SECRET MAN, followed by Cassavetes’ rarely screened feature A CHILD IS WAITING . The evening then continues with a live lecture and Q&A discussion led by Tornike, focusing on Cassavetes’ authorship, independence, and the turbulent production history of the film.
Made between SHADOWS and FACES, A CHILD IS WAITING captures Cassavetes at a crucial turning point. Set inside a state institution for children with developmental disabilities, the film follows a new teacher, played by Judy Garland, whose emotional involvement with one withdrawn boy clashes with the strict philosophy of the school’s director, portrayed by Burt Lancaster. The drama unfolds not through sensationalism but through quiet confrontation, moral tension and uncomfortable realism. You can already see the seeds of A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE in its refusal to simplify human vulnerability.
The film was controversial upon release and later partially disowned by Cassavetes due to studio interference. That conflict makes it essential in understanding why he fought so fiercely for creative control in his later work. If you admire the raw intimacy of FACES or the emotional volatility of A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE , this film reveals where that artistic rebellion began.
Event Schedule
19:30 Doors Open
20:00 A SECRET MAN
20:30 10 minute break
20:40 A CHILD IS WAITING
22:20 10 minute break
22:30 Film Lecture and Q and A Discussion with Tornike Bziava
23:30 Drinks and Networking in the FOMO Lounge Bar
Location: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.
How to find FOMO: Enter the Bazari via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left as soon as you enter next to the karaoke booth. FOMO is one flight up. Video instructions here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17933106294029235
T&Cs: guests must enter the Bazari by 23:00 to gain access to the FOMO Cinema Lounge Bar. If the Atoneli St entrance is locked you can get in via the side entrance on Sulkhanishvil St. We close at 02:00 each evening.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
