The Feast (Georgia) by Mariam Bitsadze

The Auteur Cinema Archive is proud to welcome The Feast, the award-winning debut short film by Georgian filmmaker Mariam Bitsadze, to its growing collection of remarkable independent cinema.

Premiering at the Tbilisi International Film Festival, where it received the Main Prize for Best Short Film, and later selected by festivals including the Brussels Independent Film Festival, The Feast immediately established Mariam Bitsadze as an exciting new voice in contemporary cinema.

Set over the course of a single day, the film follows a Georgian housewife meticulously preparing an elaborate dinner for her husband's guests. Every dish is crafted with care, every detail attended to, yet when the guests arrive, she slowly fades into the background of the celebration she herself has created. What initially appears to be a familiar domestic drama gradually transforms into something far richer and more unexpected—a quiet meditation on identity, sacrifice, and the invisible emotional labour performed by countless women.

Rather than confronting its themes through overt conflict or melodrama, The Feast unfolds with remarkable patience. Bitsadze allows gestures, silences, and routines to accumulate emotional weight until the film reaches a poetic, surreal conclusion that redefines everything that came before. It is a finale that feels both dreamlike and inevitable, elevating an intimate domestic story into something profoundly universal.

Visually restrained and elegantly composed, the film demonstrates an impressive confidence for a first-time director. Every frame reflects an understanding that cinema often communicates most powerfully through what remains unsaid.

Auteur Cinema Archive curator Kris De Meester explains the film's inclusion:
"What stayed with me after watching The Feast was its extraordinary sense of rhythm. Mariam Bitsadze understands that emotion doesn't need to be forced—it can quietly grow until it becomes overwhelming. The film builds with remarkable patience before arriving at a poetic, almost surreal final movement that lands with tremendous emotional force.
At its heart, this is a portrait of a woman who is almost invisible to those around her, yet whose quiet strength carries the entire world she inhabits. The film never turns her into a victim; instead, it observes her with empathy, dignity, and profound respect. It is precisely this subtlety that makes the work so powerful.
Perhaps most exciting of all is that this is a debut. Mariam Bitsadze demonstrates a remarkable cinematic maturity, revealing herself as one of the most promising new filmmakers of her generation. If this film is any indication, her future work will be well worth following."

Beyond its intimate story, The Feast also offers a loving portrait of Georgian culture, where hospitality, food, and communal rituals become both expressions of generosity and reflections of deeply rooted social expectations. The sumptuous preparations for the evening meal are photographed with genuine affection, yet they also become symbols of the protagonist's unspoken sacrifices.

With The Feast, Mariam Bitsadze has crafted a film that speaks softly but resonates deeply. It is a beautifully observed work that transforms everyday domestic life into quietly profound cinema, revealing that the most significant revolutions sometimes begin with the smallest gestures.

The Auteur Cinema Archive is honoured to preserve and celebrate this exceptional debut, confident that it marks the beginning of a remarkable filmmaking career.