Panopticon (2024) by George Sikharulidze: The Clash of Faith and Desire
- dailyentertainment95
- Aug 12
- 5 min read
Short Summary: An Identity in Turmoil When his father abandons the family to become a monk, a young Georgian teenager named Sandro is left to navigate the turbulent waters of post-Soviet society alone. Struggling with a newly awakened sexuality and the oppressive religious expectations placed on him, Sandro is pulled into a radical, ultra-right organization while simultaneously exploring his desires in unsettling and inappropriate ways. The film is a raw and introspective look at a young man's search for identity, manhood, and belonging.
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21958116/
Link to watch (industry professionals): https://pro.festivalscope.com/film/panopticon-1
Release date on streaming: September 17, 2025: https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/movie/panopticon-2025
Detailed Summary: A Spiral of Repression and Exploration
The Father's Departure: The film begins with Sandro's father leaving his family to become an Orthodox monk. This act of devotion places an invisible spiritual "panopticon" of surveillance on Sandro, compelling him to live up to the expectations of being a good Christian son.
Awakening Sexuality: Simultaneously, Sandro is experiencing an intense sexual awakening. He represses his desires for his high school sweetheart, Tina, a girl who embraces modern values, in an attempt to adhere to the traditional, religious path.
Unhealthy Outlets: This repression leads to a series of escalating, sexually inappropriate acts, such as touching random girls in public and exposing himself. He is consumed by guilt, which he tries to process through prayer, only to have the cycle repeat itself.
A Dangerous Friendship: Sandro befriends Lasha, an older, charismatic teenager who, like Sandro, grew up without a father figure. Lasha has filled this void by joining a Christian Fascist movement. Sandro, looking for a sense of belonging, easily falls under Lasha's influence.
The Path to Redemption: As the conflict between Sandro's body and soul escalates, he eventually commits a violent act. The film's conclusion sees Sandro finding his own path to redemption, not through his father's faith or parental guidance, but through the painful lessons of his own experience.
Director's Vision: Capturing a Generational Conflict Director George Sikharulidze draws heavily on his own life experience, having also been a teenager when his father left the family.
His vision for Panopticon is to explore the "clash between a young boy's soul and his exploding sexuality."
He aims to highlight how religious and ideological fundamentalism can lead to unhealthy sexual behavior, alienation, and violence among young people.
Sikharulidze also seeks to capture the "young Georgian spirit" and the universal joys and pains of being a teenager, showcasing how a young person can find their own path to maturity through painful, personal experience.
Themes: Surveillance, Identity, and Social Turmoil
Invisible Surveillance: The film's title, Panopticon, refers to the concept of invisible surveillance. For Sandro, this surveillance comes from his father and God, who he feels are always watching, dictating his behavior. This creates a powerful internal conflict between his private desires and his public persona.
Identity and Manhood: Sandro's journey is a search for a father figure and a sense of his own manhood in a society where traditional male figures are often absent or detached. He struggles to reconcile the patriarchal, religious expectations with his own burgeoning identity and desires.
Post-Soviet Georgian Society: The film is set against the backdrop of contemporary Georgia, a society grappling with the clash between religious conservatism, nationalism, and the desire for independence and modernity. The tensions between these two worldviews are a key element of Sandro's story.
Key Success Factors: A Powerful and Perceptive Debut
Personal and Authentic: The film's autobiographical roots lend it a powerful sense of authenticity and emotional depth. The director's personal connection to the story is evident in its nuanced portrayal of Sandro's internal struggle.
Stunning Cinematography: Oleg Mutu's cinematography is praised for being "gorgeously shot," creating a compelling visual atmosphere that captures the tension between tradition and modernity.
Strong Acting: Data Chachua's performance as Sandro is a key factor in the film's success, as he convincingly portrays the character's internal turmoil and confusion.
Awards and Nominations: A Critically Acclaimed Debut Panopticon has been a success on the film festival circuit, winning an Ecumenical Jury Commendation at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It also won the Best New Performer award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film was an official selection at several other prestigious festivals, including the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the Stockholm International Film Festival.
Critics Reception: A Piercing and Sharp Gaze
Variety: Jessica Kiang, in a review for Variety, writes that while the film may not have the "all-seeing eye its title implies," its gaze is "piercing and sharp and strange." She praises the film for its original take on a familiar coming-of-age story.
FilmBooster: A review notes that while the film explores many interesting themes—identity, sexuality, faith, adolescence, and Georgian politics—it "doesn't fully mature in its storytelling" and "fails to offer a more compelling conflict or climax."
Overall, critics view Panopticon as a perceptive and powerful debut from George Sikharulidze. They commend the film's originality, its strong performances, and its bold exploration of complex social and personal themes, even while some note that the narrative could be more focused.
Reviews: A Nuanced and Fearless Portrayal
Cineuropa: A review from the site praises the film for its "nuance and boldness" in exploring a difficult subject. It highlights the film's ability to tackle the clash between a young boy's sexuality and his religious upbringing with a fresh perspective.
The Moviefone: The site provides a plot summary, describing the film as a "coming-of-age" story about a young boy grappling with his father's religious devotion and his own personal conflicts.
Overall, reviews praise Panopticon for its fearless and nuanced portrayal of a young man's internal struggle. The film is seen as an important cultural piece, offering an honest look at the challenges faced by youth in a society caught between tradition and modernity.
Why to recommend movie: A Glimpse into a Unique Cultural Conflict
A Story of Universal Struggle: Despite being set in a specific cultural context, the film's themes of parental abandonment, identity formation, and the conflict between faith and desire are universal. It is a deeply personal and relatable story that will resonate with a wide audience.
A Rising Director's Debut: This is the debut feature from George Sikharulidze, a director with a unique and powerful voice. Watching Panopticon is a chance to see a talented filmmaker's first foray into feature-length storytelling.
An Important Cultural Lens: The film offers a rare and insightful look into contemporary Georgian society, exploring the political and social tensions that are often overlooked in mainstream media. It is a film that is both entertaining and culturally significant.
Movie Trend: Coming-of-Age Dramas with a Social Conscience Panopticon is part of a growing trend in independent cinema of coming-of-age films that use a personal story to explore larger social and political issues. These films often feature young protagonists who are forced to confront the harsh realities of their societies, whether it be political turmoil, religious fundamentalism, or a clash of generations. This trend uses the emotional intensity of adolescence as a vehicle to address pressing contemporary issues.
Social Trend: The Panopticon of Social Media The film's title, Panopticon, is a nod to a social trend of the same name. It refers to the "digital panopticon" of social media, where individuals feel they are under constant surveillance from algorithms, followers, and other users. This constant awareness of being watched, or the possibility of being watched, shapes behavior, leading to a culture of self-surveillance and the performance of an "ideal self" online. Sandro's internal struggle with the "invisible spiritual surveillance" of his father and God serves as a powerful metaphor for this modern social trend.
Final Verdict: A Thought-Provoking and Visually Arresting Film Panopticon is a thought-provoking and visually arresting film that is a triumph for first-time feature director George Sikharulidze. While the narrative may have some minor flaws, the film’s authenticity, strong performances, and powerful themes more than make up for them. It is a film that provides a deep, personal look into a young man’s turmoil while simultaneously serving as a sharp cultural critique of post-Soviet Georgian society. It is a must-watch for fans of independent and international cinema.
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