IVAN'S CHILDHOOD | FOMO Secret Cinema Tbilisi

IVAN'S CHILDHOOD

Andrei Tarkovsky | 1962 | Soviet Union | 1h34m | Presented in the original Russian audio with English subtitle

If you’ve always meant to watch Tarkovsky, IVAN'S CHILDHOOD is probably the best place to start. His first feature is also one of his shortest and most direct, a devastating war film built around a twelve-year-old boy who has already been forced to grow up.

Ivan has lost his family during the Second World War and now works as a scout for the Soviet military, crossing forests and marshland to gather information from behind enemy lines. Tarkovsky never treats him as a conventional child hero. Ivan is capable, stubborn and fearless, but every part of that confidence has been produced by violence.

What makes the film so powerful is the contrast between the war around him and the childhood he has lost. Dreams of sunlight, water and his mother interrupt the ruined landscapes, giving us brief glimpses of the life Ivan should have had. Tarkovsky would return to memory, dreams and landscape throughout his career, and you can already see that visual language taking shape here.

IVAN'S CHILDHOOD won the Golden Lion at Venice in 1962 and immediately established Tarkovsky as a major filmmaker. But you don’t need to know anything about his later work to respond to it. At 94 minutes, it's compact, emotionally clear and an ideal entry point into one of cinema’s most important filmographies.

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FOOD AND DRINK POLICY: SHEREKILEBI Bar in FOMO Secret Cinema opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day and closes at 01:30, serving a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic refreshments including coffee and tea, as well as fresh hot popcorn! Outside food is allowed in the bar but not in the cinema. No alcohol or drinks from outside are allowed. All guests are invited to arrive early and stay late!

LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.

HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to Level 1. Signage on the door. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTMzMTA2Mjk0MDI5MjM1

REFUND & CREDIT POLICY: If FOMO cancels a screening, all ticket holders will receive a full refund. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, we’ll issue you a credit for the value of your ticket, which can be used for any FOMO film screening within the following 30 days.

TICKETS are also available at SHEREKILIBER Bar on arrival unless sold out.