And Then There Was Light(Et la lumière fut)

Almost like an ethnographic documentary about a small African village, Iosseliani’s satiric touch and sly observations are still in place in this morality tale. Ruled by a peculiar matriarchy, the villagers live in harmony in accordance with their primal traditions, until the logging trucks arrive and endanger their peaceful coexistence. Using a blithely archaic approach that reduces dialogues to minimal and inserts silent-era intertitles to explain narrative developments, Iosseliani captures the simple rhythm of village life, observing the end of a primitive population and culture plagued by the consequences of modern civilisation.

Venice Film Festival: Special Jury Prize