Boldy unfolding through a series of fixed shots, Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili’s debut feature “Beginning” is a striking portrait of a woman’s internal suffering at the hands of a husband who prioritizes religious devotion over marital equality. Taking place within a small congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Georgia, “Beginning” consists of roughly a week in the life of Yana (Mohsen Makmalbaf), wife to the congregation’s leader David (Rati Oneli, who also co-wrote). Disconnected from her own ambitions, and subservient to her husband, the subtle reawakening of Yana’s desires is told throughout the minimalist composition and plotting, as Kulumbegashvili structures her film around a series of dramatically escalating moments that give, and eventually take away, Yana’s autonomy.
Beginning with a static shot of the congregation praying, only to be interrupted by a Molotov cocktail that sets fire to their place of worship, Yana is immediately portrayed as subservient to her husband’s ambitions. When David decides to make a trip to see the religious elders for guidance over the escalating issues between the community and their followers, Yana is finally allowed some peace outside of her role as a wife. However, with David’s absence comes a series of triggering events that Yana is forced to navigate, including the arrival of a detective, Alex, (Kakha Kintsurashvili) who is not only abrasive but also sexually aggressive towards Yana, pushing against the idea that she is a “frigid religious fanatic” and highlighting the disproportionate power dynamic between the two. These scenes, in which Alex crudely prods Yana with overt sexual suggestions, are some of the hardest to watch, as Kulumbegashvili’s camera is unblinking in its descent into Yana’s subconscious.
Mimicking Yana’s perpetual stasis, Kulumbegashvili (along with cinematographer Arseni Khactaturan) favors incredibly long takes. Filmed in a boxy 1:33 aspect ratio, the camera rarely moves, centralizing Yana within most compositions, as she talks to offscreen characters. It’s a striking aesthetic choice that draws the viewers into the fixed compositions, as Yana moves in and out of the frame, not even the subject of her own life’s story. While some of these shots, occasionally, test patience, including a nearly seven-minute take in which Yana meditates in nature, they are all in the service of a wholly subjective portrait of a woman budging against societal constraints.
Only in nature, it appears, can Yana regain self-independence. Yet while Yana, who previously worked as a fledgling actress, recovers some confidence, Kulumbegashvili makes the striking choice, halfway through the film, that strips her of any autonomy that she was slowly regaining, reintroducing Alex into her life. From then on, Yana’s suffering becomes almost biblical as she is ostracized by her husband and her misery manifests in her relationship to the congregation.
Yet this hardship also gives her increased confidence to confront her husband about their disproportionate marriage, breaking down the careful facade that he has worked to create. Yana’s suffering is not without progression, as she increasingly turns to nature as a sole source of comfort. The results of Yana’s experience are opaque. The method that Kulumbegashvili utilizes for Yana’s self-actualization may be maddening for many, yet Kulumbegashvili doubles down on her narrative and aesthetic choices, never shying away from Yana’s social and religious constraints. “Beginning” may be a tough watch, both in terms of subject matter and its filmic choices, but it’s an acute portrait of a woman awakening. [A-]
“Beginning” recently premiered as part of this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival. You can watch a press conference from the event below:
