Compassion is a quality that many works of art seem to genuinely believe they convey, but very few actually manage to capture it in a way that is authentic and meaningful, which has meant that it has unfortunately become an increasingly rare commodity. However, one of the more recent examples of this characteristic not only being present in a film, but driving the entire narrative, comes in the form of Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (Georgian: შაშვი შაშვი მაყვალი), in which director Elene Naveriani tells the story of Etero, a middle-aged woman living in a small town on the outskirts of Tbilisi, where she owns an archaic general store that serves the residents of the community, most of whom don’t bother to get to know the woman behind the counter. After a chance encounter with a particularly daring delivery man, our protagonist finds herself losing the virginity that she has held onto for her entire life, which leads to a new chapter in a life she had thought was simply gathering dust on the shelf. A beautiful, heartwarming and very meaningful film that pays attention to every detail, Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is one of the year’s most charming works. Naveriani has established herself as one of the most exciting new talents in contemporary Georgian cinema (which has been steadily rising over the past few years, and it is currently undergoing a major artistic revolution that is seeing many gifted artists emerging from obscurity and entering the global cinematic industry), and this film proves to be the one that has the most potential to be a breakthrough since it combines many qualities that have come to be indicative of a very successful story, combined with a genuine curiosity and a sense of profound interest in exploring certain ideas, which work in tandem to create this achingly beautiful, often gently funny story of a woman discovering her identity quite late in life, and experiencing the joys and pratfalls of love and sex at a point when all of her peers are settling into the celibacy and loveless relationships that tend to come with age, which is the foundation for a truly incredible work of profoundly moving cinema.

We have seen countless examples of films that centre on outsiders finding themselves falling into new experiences and having the entire trajectory of their lives changed. As viewers, we are often drawn to these stories, whether it is because we can relate to them, or because it instils a sense of curiosity in us to see the lives of people who are usually quite far removed from our own. In the case of Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, we are introduced to a protagonist who is about as ordinary as they come, an older woman who has resigned to the fact that she is not desirable and that she will most likely spend the rest of her life alone. She doesn’t lament this fact, but instead accepts it and sets out to find her happiness, which often comes in quieter moments of isolation, where she can splendour in the beauty of nature’s more miniature delights. This all changes when she meets a man who holds strong feelings towards her, and she is plunged into the throes of a sexual awakening, one that took her nearly half a century to experience, but which finally allows her to encounter those giddy, upbeat feelings of love and affection that she was previously unable to have for herself. There is a very moving message at the heart of this film, and while it can sometimes be quite evident in how it delivers some of these ideas, the overall construction of the story is inspired, by the nuanced and masterful approach to exploring sexuality in a frank and forthright manner being something that is certainly admirable, especially in an industry that can usually be callous and unforgiving to outsiders, especially those whose obstacles to leading a happy, fulfilling life are psychological more than physical. Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry walks a very narrow boundary between charming and melancholic, and it ultimately pitches itself at the most appropriate tone, which helps convey a genuine sense of affection for this character and her story, which is far more resonant than many may initially expect. It is never too late to have a romantic awakening and develop those feelings of self-worth, which this film demonstrates with honesty and humour, both of which exist in abundance.

However, when telling such a story, it is inherently going to be quite difficult to fully comprehend the scope of what can be done with the material, and while many similar films tend to have good intentions, they sometimes emerge as being slightly troubling in how they execute the ideas. Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry resolves this problem by making an active effort to never reduce the protagonist to just a bundle of quirks, but instead developing her as a three-dimensional, complex individual who has had a few challenges in her life, but is otherwise about as ordinary as you would expect, which ultimately allows the director to take the story in a few interesting directions. This film is extremely kind to the main character, which stands out as being quite remarkable and inexplicably rare. We’ve seen that it is often quite difficult to be compassionate without teetering very close to being heavy-handed, and it usually takes a writer and director who genuinely adores these characters for it to be nuanced and complex, rather than a jumble of well-intentioned but misplaced moments of commentary. Throughout this film, we are never forced to experience any specific emotion, nor are we told that we need to hold a particular opinion of the main character. There isn’t a single moment where she is treated as some fragile, delicate character made out of porcelain that will shatter if we gaze at her for too long – Etero has as many merits as she does shortcomings, and the film refuses to reduce her to just a hopelessly depressed eccentric, which is part of the appeal. Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry feels genuine, and a lot of this comes in the emotions – it is a very sweet film, but it is never sentimental, and we find ourselves becoming increasingly immersed in the story through the careful attention to detail found through the emotions and the tone of the story. It is a fascinating and often quite invigorating experience that feels like it pays sufficient tribute to the kinds of people that the protagonist represents, looking at her life in a way that is layered with meaning, but never unintentionally obtuse or forceful in how it conveys a particular message, instead preferring to allow everything to transpire organically.

Ultimately, we find that everything comes down to how this character is portrayed and the various ways in which she is asked to navigate these increasingly challenging scenarios, and we discover that Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is anchored by the incredible leading performance by Ekaterine Chavleishvili, who delivers some of the best work of the year. Some may refer to her performance as brave and fearless, but I would assume we have moved past the point where actors who are older or don’t quite match the beauty standard set by the industry are treated as if they have achieved something remarkable through baring themselves, either physically or emotionally. What makes this performance brilliant is not that Chavleishvili is willing to go further than we would expect in terms of what is usually asked of actors like her, but rather the sincerity and rawness she brings to this performance. The characterization of Etero is remarkable, and we often find that the most meaningful ideas are embedded in the quieter moments, which are delivered with incredible intensity by an actor who has not had much prior experience in film (she had small supporting roles in less than half a dozen films before being cast in this film), and it proves that some of the most astonishing performances are hidden in people that don’t normally get the opportunity to lead these films. It’s a beautiful and very charming performance, and Chavleishvili is simply magnetic – we feel every emotion that is splashed across her extremely expressive face, whether in moments of silence in which she quietly gazes at the world that surrounds her, or in the occasional conversation with another character in which Etero boldly stakes her claim as a valuable member of society, the film pays sufficient tribute not only to this astonishing performer, but to the many people who will undeniably feel like Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is an effort to give them a voice, the invisible majority that feels alienated and isolated, and very rarely get the opportunity to represent themselves in a hostile society.

Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is a film that manages to be both a heartful, compassionate look at the life of someone who has struggled for her entire life to fit into society, and a fascinating deconstruction of social conventions that have constantly sought to categorize people into two broad groups, based on how desirable and functional they are perceived to be, in accordance with beauty standards. It manages to execute both of these ideas without coming across as overwrought, which is an immediate signal of a promising, compelling work. Naveriani has been making films for a few years, so this is certainly not a case of someone emerging as a major talent from the very start, but rather a consistently strong filmmaker finally having a moment where their gifts are put on display, which is all part of the experience of working our way through this story. It can sometimes draw on the inherent sense of awkwardness that emerges through these characters and their interactions, and it certainly doesn’t avoid the more complex conversations, even when it means that it is sacrificing a satisfying resolution or a blatantly happy ending for the character (although, as ambigious as it may be, her story ends on a perfect note, and one that is filled with hope), since it aims to reflect reality. It doesn’t stop the director from telling this story with style – the cinematography is striking and she captures this small Balkan town with such extraordinary detail – but where these elements are supplementary to the experience, rather than definitive of it. Filled with heart and soul, and told with a tenderness that we don’t often encounter in such films, Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is a surprising and meaningful character-based drama that lingers with the viewer long after it has ended, which is quite an achievement for something so extremely simple but yet deeply effective in how it challenges conventions and redefines the meanings of many common concepts that it uses as the foundation for this extraordinary, evocative depiction of the human condition.