13 Tzameti

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13 Tzameti
IMDB 7.0/10 (232 votes)^[1]
Directed by	Géla Babluani
Produced by	Géla Babluani
Written by	Géla Babluani
Starring	George Babluani, Pascal Bongard, Philippe Passon, Aurélien Recoing
Music by	The Troublemakers
Distributed by	Palm Pictures
Release date(s)	February 8, 2006 (France)
Running time	86 min.
Language	French
Budget	€1,400,000^[1]
IMDb profile

George Babluani as Sébastien

13 Tzameti is a 2005 film written and directed by Georgian Géla Babluani. Tzameti is the Georgian word for thirteen.

Tzameti is the feature length directorial debut for Babluani. It also marks the acting debut of his younger brother George Babluani, who plays the film's protagonist Sébastien.

It is shot in black and white, giving it a film noir style, building tension towards the pivotal scene. Various reviewers have also compared it to the work of American director David Fincher. This has led to rumours of an American remake, possibly starring Brad Pitt.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film follows twenty-two year-old Sébastien, as he struggles to make money for his Georgian immigrant family in a small French coastal town. He is hired to work on the house of a man called Godon, a morphine addicted criminal. After Godon dies of an overdose, his widow informs Sébastien that she is unable to pay him. Sébastien then overhears the widow talking with one of Godon's friends, describing to him a "job" that he had lined up before his death. Unaware of what it is, the destitute Sébastien steals the envelope containing the instructions for the job. All the envelope contains is a train ticket to Paris, a hotel reservation and a sign with the number 13 on it.

When he arrives at the hotel, he receives a phone call giving further instructions to catch a certain train and alight one stop before the destination on his ticket. Once there he is collected in a car, the driver showing him a similar sign with the number 13.

Once they arrive at their destination Sébastien quickly learns what the job entails, and tries in vain to back out.

[edit] Awards and reception

The film won the World Cinema Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It also won two awards at the 62nd Venice Film Festival. Empire, Total Film and UNCUT gave the film 4 out of 5 stars.