Dea Kulumbegashvili's debut feature film is a daring arthouse drama. It is an open narrative for multiple interpretations. The film's beginning and ending both are breathtaking and gives a chance to the viewer to pick a 'beginning' of their own. A Jehovah's witness leader is facing threat by the orthodox Christians. At the beginning of the film, we can see how the leader is presenting a different interpretation of Abraham's tale. The killing of the ram is altered by the killing of the actual son Isaac. To understand this narrative in the religious context one needs to know a few things about this Jehovah's witness group. According to many critics, the practice of this group closely resembles a totalitarian structure. As it has a strict internal structure. Hence, the leader and the husband of Yana represent the agent of patriarchy and at the same time, he is a hardcore Jehovah's witness follower. The isolated family lives in a remote place. The orthodox Christians are making them feel like outsiders. Yana is an outsider for everyone. Being a Jehovah's follower she is not social. She lost her independence and career because of her husband. At the same time, she is within the religion but her soul is not totally committed to it. So, certainly, she is an outsider to her husband. Yana is a mother but she is not the so-called 'mother'. She is surrounded by her own problems. So, she is neither too close to her son. After the orthodox group tries to set fire on Jehovah's meeting hall, an investigation is going on. A detective arrives and it seems he is more interested in Yana's private life. Is Yana scared? Or is hesitant because of her religion? The static mid shots focused on her, express less. It is an old technique of what you want to find out is there but ain't there as well. Jehovah's witness group believes in a second-person witness which is highly criticized by other religions. Here, there is a scene where the detective will rape Yana beside a wild stream. Is it really a rape?? Is it consensual but the religious veil is suppressing Yana to enjoy the illicit encounter? Is it about a tormented soul's sadistic gratification? Or is it about the sacrifice of Yana in the hope of liberation? The extreme long shot like a landscape painting can provide multiple interpretations. There is another beautiful hypnotic shot in this film. Yana lying in the forest and the sunlight is playing hide and seek with her sleeping eyes. The nearly four-minute-long shot is just like a faint ray of hope within Yana's distorted mind. This is the first time the viewers will see a little smile of pleasure on Yana's face. Most of the time in this film Yana acts in situations rather than conveying a bit more about herself. At the end of the film, Yana reveals that she has killed her son and immediately turns away from her husband and the viewers refusing to give any explanation. One can interpret it as an abstract way of telling the story from the director's pov. Also, Jehovah's followers are strict about their norms. So, it can be interpreted in that way too. In that case, Yana is attaining liberation from motherhood, or is she still somewhere down the line a blind follower ?? Is she moving towards a new beginning or is she following the old path in the hope of a new path? In the last scene, we can see a body transforming to sand but still breathing. Isn't that also biblical symbolism? As we know that Jehovah's followers believe. In my opinion, 'Beginning' is a circular narrative. It blurs the point between the 'beginning' and the 'end'. The slow takes and camera focusing on particular characters is a hypnotic experience. The film is not about good or evil. It is more about the pros and cons of mere human existence.
Review of Beginning
