Over 600 attend film festival opening in Sukhumi

The Sukhumi International Film Festival SIFF-2019 has aroused great interest among spectators. Residents of the city said that the film forum is an opportunity not only to have a good time, but also to get enriched culturally.

At the opening ceremony, an adviser to President Raul Khadjimba read out his message, stating that the efforts strained by the republic's authorities improve the Abkhazia's international image, despite "the obstacles of certain political forces."

Only one film, "Guest", the debut work by the Abkhaz film director, Djaniko Tsurtsumiya, presents the Caucasian topicality at the festival. It tells a story of a father, who cannot forgive himself for not taking revenge for the death of his son.

According to the Abkhaz filmmaker, Vyacheslav Ablotiya, there is no such phenomenon as "the Abkhaz cinematography". He believes that not every director is able to correctly convey the depth of Caucasian topics.

"The Caucasus is a very complex topic: its spiritual themes are difficult to understand by an alien. To do this, one must either be born or live long here", Mr Ablotiya has stated, noting that there are young talented film directors in Abkhazia, who, by rallying together, could achieve a better result, but the state should be engaged in it.