SHIVA BABY Film Screening at FOMO Indie Cinema

Emma Seligman | 2020 | USA | 1h17m | English language with English subtitles

Emma Seligman’s SHIVA BABY takes place almost entirely inside a Jewish mourning gathering, but it's so much more than just a one setting "chamber" comedy. It borrows the pressure and pacing of a horror film, turning overlapping conversations, family expectations, and social embarrassment into a tightly contained nightmare of public exposure. Ariel Marx’s score is a big part of that effect, pushing ordinary interactions into a state of near panic.

What makes the film so memorable is that it's also very funny. Rachel Sennott’s performance sits at the centre of a rhythm built from awkward pauses, repeated questions, evasive answers, and the specific cruelty of being trapped in a room full of people who all think they know you. We've all been there! Sennott's comic timing, paired with Seligman's ability to turn social ritual into something that's painfully recognisable makes this film all the more genuinely hilarious.

Part of the film’s reputation also comes from how specifically it's drawn. Its Jewish setting is not decorative background but the engine of the whole piece, and its handling of queerness, self-presentation, and generational pressure gives the film an identity that feels unusually fresh for a debut.

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: Due to Easter FOMO Cinema will be closing at 22:00 this particular evening instead of our usual 02:00 closing time.