Every frame in Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze’s romantic mystery drama movie What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? looks like a piece of painting. With actors Ani Karseladze, Giorgi Bochorishvili and Vakhtang Panchulidze in the lead, the story unfolds in the ancient city of Kutaisi, situated on the banks of the Rioni river. In turns, the film celebrates the city’s ordinary yet charming, sun-dappled locales as well as its people’s love for football – all in a nondescript style.
In a meet-cute situation, medical student Lisa and footballer Giorgi have a chance encounter outside a school, and they promise each other to meet at a café the next day. However, that night when they go to sleep, a ‘curse’ pulls a trick and they wake up in the morning looking like two completely different people. Gloomy and lost, the near-lovers meet again at the same café, this time as employees. Thanks to their changed appearance, they fail to recognise each other.
What feels like a short film in the beginning goes on for 171 minutes, divided in two parts. Besides the summertime romance, the plot also sheds light on a café owner, a team of independent filmmakers, a bunch of young football players, and several other marginal characters. Imbued with a sense of magic, wonder and innocence, scenes in the movie are delicately woven into a slow narrative, much like ancient Kutaisi. Don’t miss the curly Georgian scripts scribbled across the city walls.
A voiceover narrator anchors the story, but cleverly keeps things a little obscure. The film is a shout-out to the underrated art of noticing. There are very few dialogues in the films. So, if you are not closely observing, you might miss a cue to the unspoken sentiments and emotions of the characters. That said, the film’s warm undertone colour palette is complemented by a vibrantly composed background score, featuring harps and violins. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? is currently streaming on MUBI.
