by Lisa Nystrom
Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Nino Soselia, Mathilde Irrmann, Zuka Papuashvili, Niara Chichinadze
Intro:
Unburdened by dialogue, the film is enriched by its vibrant cinematography and clever physicality, all bound together in a feel-good celebration of human connection.
In a picturesque mountain village in Georgia, Iva (Mathilde Irrmann) begins her new job as a cable car conductor, traveling from one side of the valley to the other over and over each day. Breaking the monotony are the quirky villagers who join her on her journey as they each go about their daily routine, and the brief glimpses that she manages to catch of Nina (Nini Soselia), the operator of the cable car traveling in the opposite direction.
What begins as a nod, a smile, and a wave to one another as they pass, soon becomes a drawn-out game of chess, a sharing of meals from afar, and eventually a long-distance relationship between two people who live in the same town.
Director Veit Helmer, known for his films which contain little to no dialogue, has discovered the perfect setting for his story with Gondola: suspended far above the Earth and isolated from the crowd, but still palpable with the yearning to reach out and connect.
Spending the majority of their time separated, Iva and Nina must find ways to communicate with one another that go beyond words. Their unspoken connection is beautifully conveyed through expressive gestures, meaningful glances, and shared humour, making every moment of their budding romance not only endearing but a masterful use of visual storytelling. The emergent bond between the two leads and their ability to build a genuine chemistry that transcends words is captivating.
It’s a sweet story that perhaps would have made an even sweeter short film, stretching the limits of just how many innovative ways one can while away the hours when they’re confined to a box no more than six feet wide. What it does come up with though, is both quaint and charming. Unburdened by dialogue, the film is enriched by its vibrant cinematography and clever physicality, all bound together in a feel-good celebration of human connection.
