Tear Gas, a fiction film directed by Georgian filmmaker Uta Beria, will have its world premiere on August 12 at the 79th Locarno Film Festival’s Filmmakers of the Present competition program. The project centers on a 16-year-old named Elene and her family as they become entangled in mass demonstrations in Tbilisi’s capital, forcing them to confront internal conflicts while navigating the external chaos of the protests.
The film was shot directly within real anti-government demonstrations that have continued for over 600 days without interruption. Protesters in Georgia have been demonstrating against concerns that the country is moving toward authoritarianism similar to Russia’s model, fearing this will impede Georgia’s path toward NATO and EU membership. Central to their grievances is a controversial law often referred to as the “Russia law,” which mirrors legislation used in Russia to suppress civil society. Police have regularly deployed tear gas to disperse these demonstrations.
The production faced significant obstacles both logistically and institutionally. According to Beria, the Georgian National Film Center initially provided funding through a contract signed in December 2022 but subsequently withheld second-stage financing without explanation over an 18-month period. Following news of the Locarno premiere, the institution sent a threatening letter opposing public screening and threatening financial sanctions. Despite these challenges, the production team reduced budget costs and secured alternative funding to complete the film. The Locarno Film Festival confirmed the premiere will proceed as planned.
Shooting amid active demonstrations required unconventional approaches. The crew employed flags as signaling devices rather than radio communication to avoid being mistaken for protest organizers by police. Filming occurred with long lenses from great distances, with actors maintaining character for extended periods amid thousands of protesters. Beria emphasized that crew members remained positioned to document events even when police deployed tear gas, which occurred nearly daily. The project took five years to complete, delayed by funding difficulties and what Beria characterized as institutional pressure from Georgian authorities.
Beria described the film as an act of resistance and expressed openness about potential personal consequences. The production won two awards at International Film Festival Rotterdam’s industry section: the inaugural HBF Empowerment Award and the Outward Gaze Award, each valued at €10,000. The cast includes Taisia Eradze, Mzia Arabuli, Gaga Shishinashvili, Kato Kalatozishvili, and Boris Andronikashvili, with cinematography by Goga Devdariani and editing by Nodar Nozadze.
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