Decolonial Futures (Universiteit van Amsterdam) and Het Documentaire Paviljoen explore the multifaceted relationship between cinema and (de)coloniality in a series of programmes titled, Cinema Under Siege. Prompted by the recent arrests of protesters in Georgia – including students, doctors, journalists, and filmmakers – this edition turns its attention to both structural and informal networks that support filmmakers resisting constraints on freedom of expression.

This evening features two films and is followed by a talk.

Zviad Tsetskhladze (2025) by Tiku Kobiashvili. A short film that tells the story of Zviad Tsetskhladze, a law student and leader of the youth movement Dapioni. Tsetskhladze was arrested during the 2024 demonstrations and got charged with ‘organising and leading mass unrest’.

National Exams (2025) by Giorgi Mrevlishvili, a film resonating strongly with concerns about limited freedom of expression in Georgia. Through the figure of teacher Nana Mgaloblishvili, the film explores how support, guidance, and the cultivation of critical thinking can empower young people to challenge authority and find their own voice.

Mrevlishvili was arrested in October 2025 for his participation in the protests and was later released following local and international pressure, including appeals by the Amsterdam-based International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR).

Followed by a conversation with Nadica Denić, Giorgi Mrevlishvili, Sara Ishaq (ICFR) and Elene Mikaberidze (DOCA).


Speakers
Giorgi Mrevlishvili is a documentary filmmaker and the director of Reflection (2010, Berlinale Today Award finalist) and Twelve Lessons (2019, Best Documentary, Mediawave). He is currently developing the experimental documentary series The Sands of Silence.

Sara Ishaq is a Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker and trainer, currently managing the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR). Her films include Karama Has No Walls (2012), The Mulberry House (2013), and the upcoming fiction feature The Station (2026).

Nadica Denić is a film scholar and curator focused on the entanglement of film and contemporary political developments, with an interest in migration, conflict, and risk. She is a Lecturer in Media and Culture at the University of Amsterdam.


National Exams (2025)
With the participation of: Salome Tsintsadze, Tamar Ungiadze, Elisabed Meparishvili, Luka Megrelishvili,Gocha Tkheshelidze, Rene Megrelishvili, Nino Gotsadze, Ioane Meparishvili, Kristine Ninidze, Mari Mamaladze

Produced by Nutsa Kobakhidze and Giorgi Chanturia
Sound by David Khositashvili
Additional cinematography by Gika Chelidze