13 TZAMETI
dir. Géla Babluani, 2005
France/Georgia. 95 mins.
In French and Georgian with English subtitles.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 – 7:30 PM
MONDAY, JUNE 30 – 7:30 PM

13 Players. One Bullet Each. Place Your Bets.

Writer/director Géla Babluani’s brother George plays an immigrant worker in Paris named Sébastien, who steals an envelope belonging to a fellow roofer after he dies of a drug overdose. Instead of money, Sebastien finds instructions for a mysterious “job” at a chateau outside the city; following the breadcrumb trail, he finds himself caught up in the titular game of 13 TZAMETI, in which thirteen men (in varying states of ill refute) form a circle, load their revolvers and enter a game of Russian roulette en masse. The less said about what happens next, the better – but it’s not hard to understand why Babluani’s feature debut became a global sensation after winning top prizes at the 2006 Sundance and Venice Film Festivals. 13 TZAMETI is a master class in mounting tension and minimalist mood-building, shot through with unmistakable empathy for the plight of undesirables in a globalized economy, and the lucid violence of a waking nightmare.

“Black and white images of a radical beauty, a story with unrelenting mechanics, of a ruthless efficiency.” – Le Figaro

“Come the end credits, fingernails will be firmly embedded in armrests.” – BBC

“Although it’s likely too stark for everyone, 13 TZAMETI offers a mind-blowing experience for anyone willing to go along for the ride.” – The Los Angeles Times

“This original black-and-white film in the style of film noir is a remarkable testimony of people, their arrogance, malice and fear.” – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

“Memories of my childhood keep coming back to me… The fixed images I have are like rays of light cutting through the darkness. They are always vaguely present, but when I try to re-discover their virginal quality, I no longer sense that childhood innocence.” – Géla Babluani