A FIRE THERE

In southern Georgia, the picturesque village of Gandzani embodies the living memory of an Armenian community where the echoes of exile and nostalgia for the Soviet era still resonate. As the seasons pass, this sensitive film paints an impressionistic portrait of life across this vast, open landscape. A Fire There explores the concerns and uncertainties of three friends on the cusp of adulthood as they confront their individual and shared futures. Henrikh moves to the capital, Tbilisi, to study international affairs and pursue his dream of democracy. Karlen, a shepherd weighed down by family obligations, considers migrant work in Russia as a possible path toward independence. Meanwhile, Hakob, caught in the repetition of daily labour, searches for his place within patriarchal norms and expectations, as his long-distance relationship begins to fade. With a deep sense of camaraderie, A Fire There paints an intimate portrait of a generation of young men who aspire to move beyond the limitations imposed by geography, history and society. The film embraces a quiet visual poetry, magnifying the raw beauty of this wind-swept territory. In doing so, it explores the fragile balance between inherited expectations and the desire to forge one’s own path.

Writing: Marlene Edoyan

Cinematography: Etienne Roussy

Sound Recording: Irakli Ivanishvili, Lynne Trépanier

Editing: Omar Elhamy

Sound Design: Marie-Pierre Grenier

Sound Mix: Alex Lane

Music: Mathieu Charbonneau, Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux

Protagonists: Henrikh Malkhasian, Karlen Ispiryan, Hakob Harutyunyan