DOCU/WORLD

Before Father Gets Back / Sanam Mama Dabrundeba

Year
2018
Country
Georgia, France, Germany
Duration
75’
Director
Mari Gulbiani

In a darkened classroom, the white cracked walls serve as a movie screen. We are in a remote mountain village of Georgia. The light from the projector breaks the darkness: the kids' first cinematic experience is about to begin. Among them are Iman and Eva, two Muslim girls for whom the experience becomes a turning point and inspires them to take the camera and start filming their daily lives. The girls are growing up in a valley infested by radicalism, where most people are living in a constant fear of their relatives sacrificing their lives in the name of God.

 

The film is nominated for 'Rights Now!' Award

CREW:
Director: Mari Gulbiani
Producer: Tekla Machavariani, Aleksandre Shervashidze, Laurence Uebersfeld
Cinematographer: Mari Gulbiani, Nik Voigt, Toto Kotetishvili
Editor: Nina Graafland
Sound: Matthias Weber
Production
Nushi Film, LuFilms, TV78
Sales:
Syndicado Film Sales, [email protected]
Director
Mari Gulbiani

Mari Gulbiani is a Georgian film director and screenplay writer. After finishing her education in Philology (1989-1994) at the Tbilisi State University, she studied Film Directing at the Theatre and Film State University from 2001 to 2006. She then fine-tuned her experience at the Parisian film school Ateliers Varan from 2006 until 2010 to become a fully-fledged documentary film director. She has worked in the culture department of the Georgian public TV station (TV1) and in the program department of TV9. She founded the producing company Midifilm in 2007. From 2013, she worked for the Noosfera Foundation and in the program department of the documentary film festival CineDoc Tbilisi. She also worked for CineDoc Young as a section coordinator. In 2012, she coordinated the EFA Young Audience Award in Tbilisi.

Selected Filmography

City of Blind (2006), High Above the Clouds (2011), The Shelter (2013) 

Hall «KINOMAN»
Zhovten cinema
Kostiantynivska St, 26
Q&A with director
Original language with English and Ukrainian subtitles
Hall «KINOMAN»
Zhovten cinema
Kostiantynivska St, 26
Q&A with director
Original language with English and Ukrainian subtitles
Hall «KINOMAN»
Zhovten cinema
Kostiantynivska St, 26
Current time TV Award
Original language with English and Ukrainian subtitles
22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
Caisă
DOCU/WORLD
Caisă
Year
2018
Country
Romania
Director
Alexandru Mavrodineanu
Duration
81’
DOCU/WORLD
Children of Congo, Listen!
DOCU/WORLD
Children of Congo, Listen!
Year
2018
Country
Congo
Directors
Natacha Ikoli, Patrick Flynn
Duration
89’
DOCU/WORLD
Game Girls
DOCU/WORLD
Game Girls
Year
2018
Country
France, Germany
Director
Alina Skrzeszewska
Duration
90’
DOCU/WORLD
I Grew Up As You Slept / Urosłam, Kiedy Spałaś
DOCU/WORLD
I Grew Up As You Slept / Urosłam, Kiedy Spałaś
Year
2018
Country
Poland
Director
Marcin Sauter
Duration
49’
DOCU/WORLD
The Magic Life of V
DOCU/WORLD
The Magic Life of V
Year
2019
Country
Finland, Denmark, Bulgaria
Director
Tonislav Hristov
Duration
87’
DOCU/WORLD
The Way to the Mountains / La strada per le montagne
DOCU/WORLD
The Way to the Mountains / La strada per le montagne
Year
2018
Country
France, Italy, Ukraine
Director
Micol Roubini
Duration
82’
DOCU/WORLD
Voices of the Sea
DOCU/WORLD
Voices of the Sea
Year
2018
Country
UK
Director
Kim Hopkins
Duration
98’
DOCU/WORLD
When Lambs become Lions
DOCU/WORLD
When Lambs become Lions
Year
2018
Country
USA
Director
Jon Kasbe
Duration
76’
DOCU/WORLD
White Mama / Белая мама
DOCU/WORLD
White Mama / Белая мама
Year
2018
Country
Russia
Directors
Evgeniya Ostanina, Zosya Rodkevich
Duration
97’
DOCU/WORLD