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Hostages
Заложники
2017 104 min Poland, Georgia, Russia 16+
★6.8
Drama
Director: Rezo Gigineishvili
Trailers
Description
Soviet Georgia, 1983. Preparations for Nika and Ana's wedding are in full swing and it's a big day for both of their elite families. For the newlyweds and their friends, however, the celebrations are in fact part of a cover-up, as they plot an audacious escape from the Soviet Union.
Starring
Irakli Kvirikadze
Actor
Tinatin Dalakishvili
Actor
Avtandil Makharadze
Actor
Awards
Kinotavr Film Festival 2017
— Directing Award
Kinotavr Film Festival 2017
— Cinematography Award
Kinotavr Film Festival 2017
— Main Prize
Key opinion
Hostages is a polarizing drama that splits audiences between those who appreciate its atmospheric, non-judgmental look at the 1983 Soviet hijacking and those who criticize it for failing to justify the protagonists' violent actions. While praised for its visual tone and refusal to simplify a complex tragedy, the film is frequently condemned for its lack of psychological clarity regarding the characters' motivations.
| Production | The film succeeds in creating an authentic, claustrophobic atmosphere of 1980s Soviet Georgia through evocative autumnal color grading and sound design. | |
| Theme | The director's attempt at objectivity is a point of contention: supporters value the refusal to moralize, while critics view the lack of explicit condemnation of the hijackers as a failure to address the gravity of the victims' suffering. | |
| Screenplay | The psychological foundations of the characters remain under-explained, leaving many viewers unable to reconcile the protagonists' privileged backgrounds with their extreme, fatal desire for freedom. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the film's structural pacing are divided: some appreciate the slow-burn approach and focus on tension over action, while others find the exposition tedious and the finale emotionally sparse. |