The Kartli Kingdom

a film by &

Georgia, France, Qatar | 104' | 11/2025 | documentary

"Kartli" refers both to Georgia’s medieval kingdom and a Tbilisi sanatorium sheltering refugees from the 1990s war in Abkhazia, meant as temporary but lasting 30 years. The crumbling building became a recreated “country”, with a farm, gardens, terraces and rooms where old VHS tapes revive memories of a lost paradise. Through Tamuna, Irma, and others, the film explores exile, trauma, and shared resilience, showing that nothing stays the same inside Kartli.

“a work that leans into lyrical atmosphere, and an embattled beauty it has in spades”
Square Eyes - Laurel_IDFA International Competition 2025_black
“a work that leans into lyrical atmosphere, and an embattled beauty it has in spades”
Square Eyes - Laurel_IDFA International Competition 2025_black
Crew Festivals Press materials Press quotes & Jury statements

Tamar Kalandadze

Biography

Tamar Kalandadze (1990, Tbilisi) is a Georgian filmmaker and visual media artist. Co-director of “The Kartli Kingdom,” with Julien Pebrel, she has worked as assistant director and script editor. A graduate of Caucasus School of New Cinema, she participates in art residencies and group exhibitions.

Filmography

  • The Kartli Kingdom, feature documentary, 2025
Square Eyes -

Julien Pebrel

Biography

Julien Pebrel is a French director and photographer based in Paris and Tbilisi. His first feature film, “The Kartli Kingdom,” was co-directed with Tamar Kalandadze. His photography focuses on everyday life in regions marked by recent history, published in major outlets and exhibited internationally.

Filmography

  • The Kartli Kingdom, feature documentary, 2025
Square Eyes -

Crew

Directors: Tamar Kalandadze, Julien Pebrel
Producers: Sakdoc Film: Ketevan Kipiani
Habilis Productions: Jean-Baptiste Bonnet
Executive Producer: Niko Mikadze
Cinematography: Tamar Kalandadze, Julien Pebrel
Sound recording: Tamar Kalandadze, Julien Pebrel
Additional recording: Niko Tarielashvili
Sound Design: Emmanuel Soland
Sound Editing: Emmanuel Soland
Sound Mix: Emmanuel Soland
Editors: François Sculier, Eka Tsotsoria, Julien Pebrel, Tamar Kalandadze
Composer: Nika Pasuri

Festivals

  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands (12 – 23 November, 2025)
    International Competition

Password




Press materials

EPK: Click here

Stills, poster & directors photos: Click here

English and French subtitles: Click here

Embeddable trailer: Vimeo & Youtube (coming soon)

Downloadable excerpts & trailer: Click here

SOCIAL MEDIA:
@julienpebrel
@tamara_rohini
@sakdoc_film
@habilisproductions

Press quotes & Jury statements

“A visual labyrinth that takes us deep inside a single location yet continuously reveals new facets and faces, this film depicts something scarcely seen in stories of the refugee experience: the long arc of permanent exile in which dislocation engenders new communities defined by survival and defiance—communities that are then forcefully dissolved, creating another wave of trauma. We were struck by the evident time and care the directors took in working with members of this community, in their ability to capture and convey a sense of home in such an unlikely place.”
International Competition Jury statement – IDFA ’25

“e unanimously admired the resonance of the directors’ profound commitment to the characters and the powerful visual language that captures the family-like ties. With warmth and poetry, this film reveals the quiet strength of collectivity—where activism emerges through images that breathe, relationships that endure, and a cinematic sensibility that conveys the transformative power of community and the courage of those who stand in the face of an unjust system.”
First Feature Jury statement – IDFA ’25

“The joint director-cinematographers’ crepuscular, seemingly translucent images conjure an aptly liminal atmosphere for a study of lives lived in long-term limbo, though there’s neighborly humanity and humor amid the melancholy, as the Kingdom’s residents cultivate a strong sense of community in their crumbling surroundings. That balance of warmth and melancholy should carry “The Kartli Kingdom” far”
Review: Guy Lodge – Variety

“What elevates The Kartli Kingdom above your regular, well-crafted observational documentary is the inventive approach it takes to layering (be it stories, memories or archives), which nevertheless shows a deep understanding of the architectonics of trauma”
Review: Savina Petkova – Cineuropa

“Kalandadze and Pebrel have created a tour de force”
Review: Xandie Kuenning – OC Media

“This film is a vital, throbbing act of re-empowerment and reinstatement.”
Review: Debanjan Dhar – High on Films

“The Kartli Kingdom is a work that leans into lyrical atmosphere, and an embattled beauty it has in spades”
Review: Carmen Gray – Modern Time Review

“A dreamy score and captivating images”
Review: Meredith Taylor – Filmuforia

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