The White Caravan

Eldar Shengelaia (1933 – 2025) was one of Georgia’s leading directors, and the 10th edition of the festival is celebrating his life by screening 2 of his films. The festival closes with Shengelaia’s The White Caravan, a poetic exploration of the conflict between traditional rural life and modernity.

In their feature Georgian feature, directors Eldar Shengelaia and Tamara Melissa follow a flock of sheep on its winter migration across the expansive Georgian countryside toward the fields along the shores of the Caspian Sea. Through a series of sweeping landscape shots, the filmmakers capture the beauty and isolation of the journey, while gradually revealing the psychological pressures of life in solitude. As the demanding crossing unfolds, the shepherds begin to question their way of life and their willingness to continue such difficult work. Eventually a young shepherd Gela (Imbed Kakhiani), abandons his work and beloved Maria (played by Eldar’s wife Ariadna Shengelaia), for the allure of the city, only to confront the tragic consequences of his choices.

The film was originally entered into the 1964 Cannes Film Festival. A restored version of the film was shown in the Cannes Classics section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.