What is the most important thing in the process of creating a film? The script, the direction, the visual solution, the musical score or the acting? Each of these components has its own meaning and value but their synthesis, their combination creates a work that we call cinematic art. There is no insignificant detail in the world of cinema. Every element is important, starting from the composition of the shot, ending with a single movement of the character’s eye in the scene.
This is the reason why it is especially important to have films that remind us that format, genre or technology are secondary when art is created by true feeling, skill and sincerity. Exactly such is Levan Birkadze’s short film, “The Shoemaker” (2024), which is a unique phenomenon in modern Georgian cinema.
The film was shot in black and white and is completely silent, which in itself is a bold and risky decision in the 21st century, when color films overloaded with visual effects dominate the screens. Nevertheless, Birkadze showed us that the silent film format is not only viable, but also has the power to encompass the emotional spectrum of the audience today. Moreover, in the history of cinema, there is already Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist” (2011), which earned positive reviews from film critics and audiences along with five Oscars and gave courage to young directors to return to this format.
Silent cinema is one of the most authentic forms. Avant-garde director Luis Buñuel assessed silent cinema this way: “Silent films were the purest form of cinema. The images had to speak for themselves.” True, it lacks the human voice, but this deficiency is compensated by other means: the actor’s performance, the rhythm of the shot, music, plasticity and visual metaphors. “The Shoemaker” is precisely the case when all these components come together and create a full-fledged work of silent, but very noisy story.
The director boldly decided that sound was not needed. In this way, he seems to echo the legacy of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other legends of silent cinema, however, Birkadze’s film is not just an imitation of that period, it is not based solely on nostalgia, on the contrary, this work is enriched with a modern vision and represents a perfect synthesis of classics and modernity.
The plot of the film is simple, yet multi-layered. The butcher’s adventures, at a glance, are naive, but deeply human. The everyday life of the main character, the small town environment, the characters he meets and their relationships create a picture that is close to everyone. It is in this simplicity that the strength of the film lies. The story is told in such a way that the viewer does not need to think deeply. Everything is perceived easily and felt with the heart.
A special role is given to musical accompaniment. In a film where there are no dialogues and sound effects, music becomes the main driving force, at the same time, it is an emotional indicator and part of the narrative. Not only does music create the atmosphere here but also dictates the feelings, relationships and actions of the characters’ internal changes. It organically merges with the visual sequence and creates an impressive whole.
The film's power lies in its details. Each shot is compositionally put in order. The director has a good command of the visual language and knows how to tell a story with camera movement, angle, and editing. The decorations, costumes, and visual style shape the era and acquire a certain poetic dimension. Despite the fact that everything takes place in ancient times, this environment in no way distracts us from real feelings. On the contrary, it makes us feel them more vividly.
"The Shoemaker" is both funny and sad. It does not try to irritate the audience, nor does it serve to achieve shock. The film simply tells the story the way a real movie should be told. There is nothing dramatic, violent, or sensational. It unfolds calmly, quietly, sincerely, and that is precisely its originality.
The acting is also worth mentioning. In a silent film, the actor's body and face are the main communicators. Here, gestures and facial expressions say more than words in sound cinema. The characters in the film are full of feeling, depth and love. Their movements are natural and precise, as if they had stepped straight from the screen of the 1930s.
Birkadze not only directed, but also wrote the script himself, participated in the editing process and took on the role of actor himself. This indicates that this project was not just a professional task for him, it was a personal story, a work done from the heart, and that is why the film manages to establish such a level of connection with the audience, because it is sincere.
Despite the technological stages of development, cinema still remains a human art, an art that is based on the ability to express emotion. In recent years, such films have dominated the screens whose axis is violence, aggression and pessimism in most cases. In such an environment, “The Shoemaker” is a real gift that makes kindness, love and humanity the main value.
Against the background of all this, the flaws seem insignificant and you don’t even feel like writing about them. For example, the air conditioner that broke in several places, the lack of subtitles. Even a few, which would have enriched the work much more.
The film can be seen by both teenagers and older viewers. It is understandable and acceptable to everyone. It doesn’t matter which era you are a film lover from. This film is for everyone. There is not even unnecessary movement in it, there is no stereotypical dramaturgy, everything is thought out in detail.
“The Shoemaker” is not only a unique phenomenon in Georgian cinema, but also proof that cinema, as an art, has not yet died out and when a director approaches it with love, the result is always emotional, sincere and valuable.
Teona Vekua
