A Room of My Own — queerness and constraint in Georgia receives a review. This intimate, yet unfinished, portrait explores female friendship, desire, and self-discovery within contemporary Tbilisi. Ioseb ‘Soso’ Bliadze’s second feature attempts to examine female friendship, intimacy, and the breaking of patriarchal norms during a COVID-ridden, locked-down spring.
The film centers around Tina (Taki Mumladze) moving into a rented room with Megi (Mariam Khundadze). Megi’s lifestyle includes partying, smoking, working for a pharmaceutical company, and frequent nudity, while Tina appears restrained and lost. The two women initially clash.
During a party, Vajiko (Lashao Gabunia) inquires about Tina, revealing her recent marriage, divorce, and sole ambition to live with her boyfriend, Beka (Giorgi Tsereteli). Tina’s past includes infidelity and a violent attack resulting in a visible scar. Beka ultimately rejects her due to his mother’s disapproval of her “tainted” history.
Following this, Tina, ostracized by her family, returns to the room and begins a process of self-discovery. A pivotal, and problematic, scene unfolds when Megi, after Tina’s US visa is granted, assaults Tina while she’s heavily intoxicated. The event is never addressed, adding nothing to the narrative.
Further complicating matters, Tina is denied attending her mother’s COVID-19 related funeral. Seeking solace, she finds herself in Megi’s arms. Mumladze and Khundadze, who earned a Best Actress Prize, struggle during these intimate scenes, exhibiting a noticeable lack of chemistry.
The film’s visual presentation, directed by a male cinematographer, feels emotionally underexamined, failing to center female pleasure. Despite the film’s feminist title and sharp societal commentary, it ultimately feels half-baked, leaving the story incomplete. The film’s limitations—minimal locations and a small cast—do strengthen the story’s intimacy.
This room represents a struggle for self-determination and a difficult exploration of female relationships.
Topics: #room #own #review
