THE ECCENTRICS (aka SHEREKILEBI) - Comedy Film Fest at FOMO Cinema

Eldar Shengelaia | 1974 | USSR (Georgia) | 1h20m | Georgian audio with English subtitles

Eldar Shengelaia’s THE ECCENTRICS is a Soviet Georgian satire, and like the best Georgian comedies of that period it turns absurdity into a way of looking at bureaucracy, vanity, public life, and the strange rituals of official culture. It's playful, pointed, and full of the kind of comic exaggeration that Georgian cinema has always handled particularly well. The film belongs to a tradition where foolishness is rarely innocent and institutions always seem slightly ridiculous.

For audiences who know Shengelaia or the broader tradition of Georgian satire, this is a treat. For audiences discovering it for the first time, it's also a chance to see how funny and distinct Georgian comic cinema can be when it is allowed to get mischievous.

WHY I'VE INCLUDED IT IN THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM: I wanted this week to include a Georgian film, not as an obligation, but because Georgian cinema has its own wonderfully playful, absurd, and quietly political comic tradition. THE ECCENTRICS brings that spirit into the program. It gives the week a local voice, a bit of historical depth, and a very particular kind of satire unique to this region.

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 the first floor. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17933106294029235/