You can be religious yet still be soulless, as evidenced in director Dea Kulumbegashvili’s slow-burning drama, Beginning. Executive produced by Carlos Reygadas (Our Time), Beginning takes patience and a steady eye to fully get wrapped up in its intricate character complexities, but those willing to immerse themselves in the unsettling are in for a provocative cinematic experience.

Set in a remote village outside of Tbilisi, Georgia, a sect of Jehovah’s Witness missionaries come under attack when arsonists burn down the community’s church, leading David (Rati Oneli) and his wife Yana (Ia Sukhitashvili) to reevaluate their roles as leaders in the organization. Going to the police proves uneventful, as the authority’s ambivalence towards the group only makes the situation more devastating. With David pre-occupied rebuilding the church, Yana becomes the target for a local detective (Kakha Kintsurashvili) who abuses his power in various sexual and physical ways. It breaks her spirit, leaving Yana questioning her role as a wife, mother, and spiritual believer.

Beginning will be remembered for its 35mm scenes comprised heavily of single-take shots lasting minutes long…

In her debut feature film, Dea Kulumbegashvili commands the screen with confidence. Beginning will be remembered for its 35mm scenes comprised heavily of single-take shots lasting minutes long, a convention that lags at times, but ultimately gives the film a sense of authenticity. Ia Sukhitashvili’s performance as a woman at odds with herself is revelatory, in which her pain is seen and felt even without uttering a single word.

Beginning is a true art film; its untraditional structure of mostly one-take scenes won’t be for everyone, but if you can carve out the two hours and ten minutes of watch time, the payoff is worth it. Plus, if Beginning gets a nomination for the Best International Feature, it will make history as the first Georgian Oscar nominee.

‘Beginning’ is available to watch on MUBI this Friday, January 29, 2021.