Wry, endearing, thoughtful, this tale of a late-blooming heroine awakened by intimations of romance and mortality is utterly refreshing. 48-year-old Etero, single by choice, lives in a small Georgian village where she runs a toiletry store. Commanding and intelligent, possessed of a stoic independence and a dry wit, she cherishes her freedom as much as the mille-feuille she repeat-orders at her local café. But when a passionate encounter brings a new recklessness into her life, she must decide whether to pursue love or continue alone. Adapted from a first-person novel by Georgian author Tamta Melashvili, funny and sad by turns, Eka Chavleishvili is magnificent as the redoubtable Etero.

Preview courtesy of New Wave Films

Director: Elene Naveriani
Starring: Eka Chavleishvili, Temiko Chichinadze, Lia Abuladze
Switzerland/Georgia, 2023, 1 hour 50 minutes, Georgian + English subtitles