📌 Basic Info

• Title: Beginning (original title: Au commencement)

• Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili

• Genre: Drama / Psychological Thriller

• Country: Georgia

• Language: Georgian and some Russian

• Runtime: ~106 minutes

• Awards: Won Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival (2020), Best Director at Sundance, and more.

🧠 Overview

Beginning is a slow-burning, atmospheric drama exploring the life of Tamar, a Jehovah’s Witness woman living in a small Georgian town. The film dives deep into themes of faith, trauma, oppression, and the search for meaning in a harsh world.

It’s a story about the collision of personal belief and social violence—a woman’s struggle to maintain her spiritual identity amidst hostility and brutality.

The film is notable for its stark cinematography, minimal dialogue, and intense emotional resonance, creating an almost hypnotic meditation on suffering and resilience.

🧵 Detailed Story Summary

Setting the Scene

Tamar is a devoted member of the Jehovah’s Witness community, known for their pacifist and devout way of life. She is deeply committed to her faith and lives a quiet, disciplined life.

Her community is persecuted and marginalized in her region. Tamar’s daily routine revolves around prayer, religious meetings, and caring for her family.

The Inciting Incident

One day, the local police violently raid a Jehovah’s Witness gathering. Tamar’s husband is arrested and brutally beaten, plunging her life into chaos.

This event triggers a crisis. Tamar is left alone, vulnerable, and under surveillance.

Tamar’s Struggle

Despite the trauma, Tamar remains steadfast in her faith. She faces hostility and isolation from the town, including from her own family and neighbors.

She tries to hold her community together and keep her belief alive, but is increasingly trapped between external violence and internal doubts.

Confrontations and Violence

The film portrays a series of intense and haunting scenes showing Tamar’s encounters with aggressors—both physical and psychological.

Her resilience is tested repeatedly, and the viewer witnesses her suffering in a highly personal, almost suffocating way.

Themes and Style

• The film’s pace is deliberate and contemplative, forcing the audience to sit with discomfort.

• The minimal dialogue emphasizes isolation and the unspoken pain Tamar endures.

• Cinematography uses harsh lighting and shadow to heighten the sense of oppression.

• The story explores the conflict between spiritual purity and worldly violence.

Ending

Beginning ends ambiguously, with Tamar’s future uncertain. The film does not offer easy resolutions but leaves the viewer reflecting on faith, endurance, and the human spirit in the face of brutality.

🏁 Why Watch “Beginning”?

If you’re interested in films that are:

• Intense psychological dramas,

• Meditations on faith and suffering,

• Beautifully shot with a slow, immersive narrative,

• Featuring strong, complex female protagonists,

then Beginning is a compelling and unforgettable choice.