When a person leaves his homeland, he often thinks that he is only changing the country but he actually loses much more - his childhood, peace, his own environment and sometimes even himself. Emigration is not just moving to another country. It is a constant struggle for survival, a quest for one's place in the foreign environment and a daily attempt to maintain his dignity. All this is especially difficult when poverty, loneliness and violence combine. A person is often faced with a choice in such a situation - to stay human or adapt to the environment. With these precisely difficult and painful topics deals the debut full-length film of the young Georgian director, Akaki Popkhadze, "In the Name of Blood" (2024), which attracted the audience’s attention even after its world premiere. It was held in 2024 at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain) and the Georgian audience saw it in September 2025. This fact alone shows that the film is not just a local project; it attracted international attention and interest from the very beginning.
When a person leaves his homeland, he often thinks that he is only changing the country but he actually loses much more - his childhood, peace, his own environment and sometimes even himself. Emigration is not just moving to another country. It is a constant struggle for survival, a quest for one's place in the foreign environment and a daily attempt to maintain his dignity. All this is especially difficult when poverty, loneliness and violence combine. A person is often faced with a choice in such a situation - to stay human or adapt to the environment. With these precisely difficult and painful topics deals the debut full-length film of the young Georgian director, Akaki Popkhadze, "In the Name of Blood" (2024), which attracted the audience’s attention even after its world premiere. It was held in 2024 at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain) and the Georgian audience saw it in September 2025. This fact alone shows that the film is not just a local project; it attracted international attention and interest from the very beginning.
Akaki Popkhadze does not just try to tell a crime story with this film. What is important to him is the psychology of people, family relationships and the hatred that ultimately destroys everyone. The film shows how one murder can destroy an entire family, how the desire for revenge can make a person lose himself, and how people caught between love and violence can ultimately find themselves alone.
The main topic is not just crime or revenge. This is a story about family, pain, faith and destruction of a person by a circle of violence. This is what makes “In the Name of Blood” different from a simple crime thriller. The film tries to show the audience that revenge ultimately does not bring peace to anyone.
The story begins with the murder of a Georgian immigrant (Temiko Chichinadze). This murder is not just the death of one person, it is an event that opposes family members against each other. Tristan and Gabriel, the sons of the deceased, are completely different from each other. Tristan is a quiet, religious young man who wants to become a priest. He believes that a person can rise above hatred. On the other hand, there is Gabriel - a brother, a man with a difficult past, full of anger and aggression, who thinks that dignity can only be protected through violence.
It is in these two characters that the main conflict of the film is seen. One brother yearns for forgiveness, the other for revenge. The director does not try to give easy answers, does not show us either character as a good or bad person. Both brothers have their own truth, and this makes the film more realistic.
One of the film’s strengths is the characters. They are living and real people. The viewer sees their fear, pain, mistakes and inner struggle. Gabriel's character is especially interesting. Although he seems aggressive and cruel, his actions convey pain, lost years and the desire to return to his family. He tries to atone for his sins, but in the end this path drags him into greater darkness.
Mother’s character, played by Ia Shugliashvili, is also very emotional. She seems to be the last support of the family. Her eyes constantly show fatigue, fear and pain. Yet, she tries to keep the family together. The director also noted that the most important woman in the film is the mother because even the strongest men can become children in front of their mother.
Mother’s character, played by Ia Shugliashvili, is also very emotional. She seems to be the last support of the family. Her eyes constantly show fatigue, fear and pain. Yet, she tries to keep the family together. The director also noted that the most important woman in the film is the mother because even the strongest men can become children in front of their mother.
“In the Name of Blood” is one of the hardest Georgian films about emigration. Here, emigration is not just about living in a foreign country. It is about the loss of identity, constant struggle and loneliness. The characters seem to be stuck between two worlds - they don't feel at home in France and are also far from their homeland.
The director openly says that violence in the name of honor ultimately leads to destruction. This idea runs through almost the entire film. The characters are constantly trying to prove that they are strong but this strength destroys them in reality. One of the most important messages is precisely this - aggression and revenge cannot save a person.
Visually, the film is very impressive. The camera often follows the characters closely, which brings the viewer closer to them. The night scenes are especially powerful - the streets of Nice, dark neighborhoods, cold colors and tense silence. The atmosphere of the film constantly gives you the feeling that something bad must happen. It is this tension that keeps you interested until the end.
The music also enhances the emotion of the film well. There is almost complete silence in reality which further intensifies the drama. The director does not rely on excessive effects. He is more interested in showing people's inner state.
The film certainly has some shortcomings. The plot resembles classic crime dramas at some points and some scenes become predictable. Additionally, the heavy atmosphere of the film will not be easy for all viewers to watch. This is not a light film that should be watched only for entertainment. There are a lot of heavy emotions, violence, and inner pain in it.
რა თქმა უნდა, ფილმს გარკვეული ნაკლოვანებებიც აქვს. ზოგ მომენტში სიუჟეტი კლასიკურ კრიმინალურ დრამებს ჰგავს და გარკვეული სცენები პროგნოზირებადიც ხდება. ასევე, ფილმის მძიმე ატმოსფერო ყველა მაყურებლისთვის მარტივად საყურებელი არ იქნება. ეს არ არის მსუბუქი ფილმი, რომელიც მხოლოდ გასართობად უნდა ნახო. მასში ბევრი მძიმე ემოცია, ძალადობა და შინაგანი ტკივილია.
It may seem that the film is too dark and almost devoid of positivity in some places but this darkness creates its realism. The director does not want to show a beautiful lie. He shows us people who are struggling with their own mistakes and circumstances.
Another weak point of the film may be that some characters are not fully revealed. The main characters are presented quite strongly, although some of the secondary characters remain only in the background and the director pays less attention to their stories. Because of this, certain episodes leave a superficial impression.
Another weak point of the film may be that some characters are not fully revealed. The main characters are presented quite strongly, although some of the secondary characters remain only in the background and the director pays less attention to their stories. Because of this, certain episodes leave a superficial impression.
It is also worth noting that the film is an important step for Georgian cinema. In recent years, many social and psychological dramas have been created in Georgian cinema but “In the Name of Blood” stands out with a different energy. In it, the style of a European criminal thriller and Georgian emotional drama naturally merge. French cinema has had a great influence on the work, which positively reflected its quality.
The depiction of the Georgian diaspora is also interesting. Georgian immigrants are neither idealized nor portrayed only as victims in the film. They are ordinary people with mistakes, anger, love and fear. Akaki Popkhadze’s directorial vision is also clearly felt. He wants the viewer not to be just an observer.
“In the Name of Blood” is a heavy, emotional and powerful film that will be remembered by the audience for a long time. It will be especially interesting for those who love psychological dramas and realistic cinema. The main thing here is not shootings and criminal “effects” but people’s internal struggle.
Akaki Popkhadze created a very strong debut work. Despite the minor flaws, the film still manages to convey the main message. “In the Name of Blood” is one of those films that you do not forget even after it is finished. The emotions shown in it, the family tragedy, the confrontation between the brothers and the dark side of a town of Nice stays in the memory for a long time. The main strength of the film is in its emotion. Here, all the characters carry their own pain. The two brothers’ relationship, mother’s silence, the feeling of a lost family and constant fear make the film especially heavy and interesting at the same time. The director makes us think whether there at all exists a person whose revenge succeeds.
Teona Vekua
