Samanishvili’s Stepmother

Eldar Shengelaia (1933–2025) was one of Georgia’s leading filmmakers and an influential voice in shaping the cinema of his generation. Famous for his signature fable films, often critical of the Soviet Union, he was a prominent public figure who openly confronted censorship and was vocal about the importance of independence. His parents were pioneers of Georgian cinema: his father, the director Nikoloz Shengelaia, was a director and trailblazer in the Georgian avant-garde cinema, while his mother, Nato Vachnadze, was a leading star of Georgian and Soviet cinema, including the silent era.

Eldar came to London in his 80th year as a guest of the festival in 2013 and presented An Unusual Exhibition (1968). The festival has also screened Blue Mountains (1983) and A Chair (2016).

The 10th edition of the London Georgian Film Festival is screening two of his films, Samanishvili’s Stepmother and The White Caravan. Samanishvili’s Stepmother, one of Eldar Shengelaia’s lesser-known gems, is screening for the first time on the big screen in the UK. A satirical look at an impoverished noble family, the film is based on a classic story by David Kldiashvili. It follows an impoverished nobleman named Bekina Samanishvili who, in his old age, decides to remarry. Terrified of losing a portion of his meagre inheritance if his father has another son, Bekina’s hardworking son, Platon, schemes to find him a twice-widowed and supposedly “childless” bride. However, his plans backfire, leading to comic and ironic results.