The native gossips, with their tittering, pitying glances, would possibly discover it arduous to imagine, however 48-year-old Etero (Eka Chavleishvili) is single by selection. Lastly free from the overbearing chauvinism of her father and brother, she dedicates herself to the operating of her austere little store in a Georgian mountain village (she shares a sparse choice of toiletries, cleansing merchandise and varied disappointments) and to her hobbies – choosing blackberries close to the river gorge and demolishing monumental, slab-like parts of cake. However then, all of a sudden and unexpectedly, love finds Etero. A passionate encounter with supply man Murman (Temiko Chichinadze) subsequent to the detergent packing containers in her storeroom divests her of her virginity. Now she should steadiness her newfound craving for emotional contact towards her hard-won freedom.
Chavleishvili is terrific, delivering a efficiency that carries the image and units its tone. Her Etero shows a mix of severity and sensuality that must be incongruous however works fantastically. And the character is mirrored by the movie’s Kaurismäkiesque color palette, which appears gloomy at first look however is revealed to be wealthy, full-blooded and strikingly good-looking.
