Alongside her new film April, the JBFC is excited to present repertory screenings of filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili’s remarkable debut feature: Beginning.

In a sleepy provincial town, a Jehovah’s Witness community is under attack from an extremist group. In the midst of this conflict is Yana, the wife of the community leader, whose familiar world is slowly crumbling around her.

One of the most striking debuts in recent memory, Beginning marks the revelation of an exciting new voice in cinema. Shot in luminous 35mm long takes that boldly evoke feelings of isolation and longing, the film tells a profound story of a woman’s resilience facing communal hostility and violence.