Georgian-born director enters latest movie for SIFF's top award

Georgian-born director Bakur Bakuradze brought his new semi-autobiographical movie "Snowflakes in My Yard" to the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival to strive for the highest award.

In his long-awaited latest work, Bakuradze not only directed the film but also starred in it, incorporating his personal experiences into the narrative.

In the movie, Givi lives in Moscow, a bustling city where he works as a film director. His life is far from perfect, burdened by family problems and the relentless pressures of his career.

In contrast, his childhood friend Levan lives in Tbilisi, a world away, leading a solitary existence that bordered on homelessness. For many years, they have no contact, their lives seemingly disconnected and worlds apart.

One day, Givi stumbles upon Levan's profile on Facebook. Memories from their shared childhood flooded back, and he decides to reach out.

To his surprise, Levan responds warmly and soon they are reminiscing about the old days, their friendship reignited by the spark of nostalgia.

Despite the vast differences in their current lives, their conversations grow deeper and more meaningful.

"This movie holds a special significance for me because it is based on my personal experiences," Bakuradze said. "I accidentally reconnected with an old schoolmate through social media."

"My first reaction was to help him materially, as he was genuinely in need. However, providing material assistance proved challenging. I constantly struggled with finding the right approach and words to ensure that my help didn't hurt his pride. Whether it was sending money or buying him things, I made considerable efforts to support him. In the early stages, misunderstandings and lack of comprehension often arose."

Eventually, Bakuradze realized that teaching his friend how to fish might be better than just giving him a fish and he decided to help him find a job.

"He began writing the initial draft of the script very quickly, but it resembled a diary, detailing his daily activities like when he woke up, what he ate, and his memories from our shared childhood. He also recounted what he had done during the 15 years we had lost contact," Bakuradze said.

After reviewing the diary-like draft, Bakuradze found it to be an interesting story. "The final script of the movie was a combination of his daily records, my own life experiences, and a bit of artistic embellishment."

"Friendship between men has its unique characteristics. Men often find it difficult to express their feelings, and sometimes, everything is understood without words," he added, explaining why the movie has virtually no musical score and features minimal direct interaction between the main characters.