Vienna-based sales company Square Eyes has taken international rights to The Kartli Kingdom ahead of its world premiere in Amsterdam next month, adding the Georgian-French documentary to a boutique lineup known for author-driven nonfiction. The feature, directed by Tamar Kalandadze and photographer-filmmaker Julien Pebrel, is set to debut in the festival’s International Competition from November 13 to 23.
The film’s title carries a double meaning: Kartli is both a medieval Georgian kingdom and the name of a Soviet-era sanatorium on the edge of Tbilisi’s artificial lake, where families displaced by the 1992–93 Abkhazian conflict have lived for decades. Early materials describe an observational portrait of daily life inside the building and around the lakeshore, using the location to trace memory, belonging, and the long tail of displacement in the South Caucasus.
Square Eyes’ boarding positions the film for broader circulation following its competition berth, with the company handling festivals and sales strategy. Recent announcements from the Amsterdam event confirm a 2025 edition spanning roughly 250 titles from 76 countries, with the International Competition anchored by politically attentive, character-led works. Placement in that section typically signals strong curatorial interest and can accelerate post-festival bookings across Europe and North America.
Background on the project points to a development path through European co-production and market platforms, including pitching forums that prioritize stories from contested or transitional spaces. Pebrel’s project notes highlight a patient, place-specific approach, while the synopsis foregrounds residents whose lives have unfolded within the walls of Kartli since the early 1990s. With Square Eyes steering outreach, the film enters a marketplace where curated documentary labels remain critical for connecting socially engaged titles to buyers and programmers.
