Taking place in the country of Georgia shortly after the Soviet Union broke apart there erupts ethnic & regional conflict (w/the usual Russian interference currently ongoing in Georgia & Ukraine's Crimea annexation) resulting in many going off to and coming home from battle which is where this story starts.
An Eastern Orthodox Christian country that because of poor education still relies on the traditions of the church to set precedence & govern behavior. One issue facing this ethos is the status of women (a common issue in many conservative religions) where they have a status & value somewhere at or below that of livestock. Although male-centric even the elderly women, poorly if at all educated, also preserve the status quo of God, Jesus, and ancestral spirits to determine the fates (along w/sacrificing a pig, goat or chicken). The female fate, "She must be cheerful, wear colorful clothes, and have a baby." Oh, and then there's forced/arranged marriage, and an attempt at rebelling against it (and the cruelty of people imposing their religious interpretations upon others), which is what this story is about. Filmed on location, w/beautiful scenery & remote villages.
12 Reviews
story from Svaneti
Kirpianuscus26 February 2018
The atmosphere. as a large circle of customs, traditions, relationships, faith, fears, rules. this defines "Dedi" for a viewer out of Caucasus. and it does it in precise and clear manner. as invitation to become part of this strange, cold, very old world. the first temptation is to compare. with the films of Tengiz Abuladze. yes, it is Georgia. the basic traits are the same. but it has two virtues defining it in profound sense: the vision of Mariam Khatchvani and the status of history of present. the roots are the same for an isolated comunity and the story could have as location a villge from Albania, Turkey, Greece or Romania. but it is more than a beautiful film. it is a great story about roots of ordinary life. about its structure. and about the way to transform the people in profound manner. so, a story from Svaneti. as a honest testimony.
amazing movie
maikoratiani18 December 2017
drama
dadvaninino6 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The film "Dede" is astonishing and exciting, traditions, faith, courage, fear, love and firmness all in one film, I feel all the emotion,The visuals of the actors were completely adapted to the content of the film. I liked the scenery, music that expresses the feeling of the film so well. This is a very memorable film for me
Picturesque but poorly written
ethanr-2403427 November 2018
The images of the landscapes in Georgia's mountainous Svaneti region are the only good points in this oversentimental melodrama. But at some point even the imagery becomes unbearable when viewers become aware of the main storyline which does not go further than superficially dangerous affairs. Lots of movies like this produced in Georgia only to get their producers on to Eurpean stage. Art needs talent, technique and wit all at the same time. Showoffs help only in short term.
A solid beautifully shot debut, from a very promising filmmaker
BrendanParryKaufmann16 June 2023
An excellent directorial debut from Mariam Khatchvani, beautifully framed and shot. She makes hard narrative choices, to sympathetically show the extant tension between conservative traditions, and a young woman's desire for autonomy - all within the framework of a love story destined for a tragic end.
Based on real events, and showcasing a turbulent period in recent Georgian history, it is a story that could be from many places, and is all the more remarkable for how recently the story is set.
Khatchvani directs with a light touch, and gets wonderful and credible performances from many local people who make up her cast, much in the same vein as Pasolini.
Minor missteps in pacing and editing are easily forgiven for the sure hand shown in shooting and framing the narrative - the village of Ushguli and its beautiful surrounding mountains play as much a character as any of the actors. Absolutely worth your time.
Based on real events, and showcasing a turbulent period in recent Georgian history, it is a story that could be from many places, and is all the more remarkable for how recently the story is set.
Khatchvani directs with a light touch, and gets wonderful and credible performances from many local people who make up her cast, much in the same vein as Pasolini.
Minor missteps in pacing and editing are easily forgiven for the sure hand shown in shooting and framing the narrative - the village of Ushguli and its beautiful surrounding mountains play as much a character as any of the actors. Absolutely worth your time.
DEDE TO RIGHTS
MadamWarden21 October 2020
This is a strange little insight into crazed culture of the Balkan people. Mediaeval at best, Neanderthal at worst. Woman are treated as possessions, religion is primitive and suddenly I understand why there are always Balkan wars. I also understand why my friends of Balkan heritage believe in conspiracy theories.
What a strange primeval society.
An eye opening movie!!
Impressive settings, beautiful cinematography
asacorafos16 July 2021
With simple, slow-moving scenario, the film is beautifully made in terms of cinematography, amazing scenery and settings, but also casting. The actors all appeared as if they were real local mountain villagers, particularly the elderly ones. The villages where the action takes place were straight out of the Middle Ages. I was fascinated to look at the details of the interior of houses, the furniture, the utensils, bedding, clothing. Even though the film takes place in modern era, time up in this mountainous area of Georgia looks to have stood still. Adherence to traditional values and to religion is evident throughout the film. Some scenes really stuck to mind, the heavy snow covered village rooftops and pathways, the horse-racing women riders, the little boy singing at the top of his voice while the little girl of same age next to him nodding off. There's not much to write about the plot, but it is a film worth watching because of the way it is made...
Heartrending story, beautifully told
garygoldenberg-950982 November 2023
"Dede" is a beautiful, moving, heartrending story, based on actual cultural practices (brideknapping included) in the Caucasus until just a few decades ago. Sadly, these cultural practices still prevail in more than a few countries around the world. I'm no expert in Svaneti, but after traveling in the region with local residents, staying in local guesthouses, and hearing their stories, all of the events in the movie ring true. "Dede" is expertly told on a tiny budget, with (mostly and perhaps all) amateur actors. This is what movie-making should be about, not all the special effects, car crashes, and explosions.
I'm ashamed of this movie.
lmosashvili11 August 2022
I am Georgian myself and saw this movie in Svaneti (where it was taken). I am ashamed to see that people are abusing the dark side of our history to play on people's emotions superficially to win grants, but regretfully the movie has no value. Instead of showing the real life in mountains, the actual traditions (which were very developed and the included mediation and such institutes as jury etc. The director is playing on people's emotions artificially).
This is not how the life was in Svaneti, people were much kinder to each other and nobody killed and raped each other like this. I'm sad to see this movie and hope not many people will get to see it because it is filled with lies. The director just used cheap methods for playing on emotions with lies and artificial scenes. I was sad to see this movie.
This is not how the life was in Svaneti, people were much kinder to each other and nobody killed and raped each other like this. I'm sad to see this movie and hope not many people will get to see it because it is filled with lies. The director just used cheap methods for playing on emotions with lies and artificial scenes. I was sad to see this movie.
Amazingly good shot movie from and with people from Svaneti
mamasgun4 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Beautiful shot and moving storyline of Dina, a young woman living in Ushguli, Georgia who decide to be the master of her own fate by challenging tradition.
The movie is based of actual events and is beautifully shot in Ushguli/Svaneti, Georgia. It's not so much about how much of the story or traditions are depicted accurately but more about how traditions can change for the better and how people or in this case one woman is the moving force of this.
What I like about this movie is that it critically portrays how people often hide behind traditions to get what they want but at the same time how exactly this hiding and reinforcing of traditions on people can have bitter and tragic consequences.
Will watch it again.
The movie is based of actual events and is beautifully shot in Ushguli/Svaneti, Georgia. It's not so much about how much of the story or traditions are depicted accurately but more about how traditions can change for the better and how people or in this case one woman is the moving force of this.
What I like about this movie is that it critically portrays how people often hide behind traditions to get what they want but at the same time how exactly this hiding and reinforcing of traditions on people can have bitter and tragic consequences.
Will watch it again.
The film DEDE is an extraordinary project
constanzejohn23 October 2023
The film DEDE impressed me deeply. It combines cultural history with a tragic cinematic story. It is document and art at the same time. Masterful! In addition, this high performance was achieved through the participation of mostly amateur actors. They were all and are Svans. The film DEDE is an extraordinary project. Anyone who visits Ushguli or Svaneti these days will not only learn about the fate of women in a film, but also about history. Everything designed up close. The great camera work and the impressive faces are also impressive. When I come to Georgia, to Mestia or to Ushguli, I see the film DEDE again and again. Aesthetically, this film has great power. I can only recommend this film to everyone.
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