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The Kartli Kingdom Documentary Debuts Trailer at IDFA 2025
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Published in Sports and Competition on Thursday, November 13th 2025 at 7:25 GMT by Deadline.com- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
The Kartli Kingdom: A New Documentary Gets a Trailer Premiere at IDFA
In a recent Deadline feature, the highly anticipated documentary The Kartli Kingdom—a sweeping historical portrait of Georgia’s medieval heartland—made its first public showing through an exclusive trailer release at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The piece, which explores the political, cultural, and social life of the Kingdom of Kartli from the 11th to the 17th centuries, has been generating buzz among scholars and film‑goers alike. Deadline’s article provides a thorough overview of the film’s content, production background, and its significance within the broader documentary landscape.
A Look Inside The Kartli Kingdom
The trailer, 5 minutes and 27 seconds long, is a cinematic tour de force that blends archival images, dramatic reenactments, and contemporary interviews. Viewers are first introduced to the ancient capital of Mtskheta, where the documentary situates its narrative. A sweeping aerial shot of the ruins sets a contemplative tone, immediately followed by a voiceover (recorded by renowned Georgian actor Giorgi Kukhia) that frames the kingdom as “a cradle of Orthodox Christianity and a crucible of resistance against Ottoman and Persian incursions.”
The film itself follows a linear storyline. It begins with the ascension of King David IV, the “Builder” (1089–1125), who is credited with restoring Kartli’s political autonomy after the period of Mongol dominance. The director, Nina Arshakyan, uses a blend of re-enacted scenes and archival footage from the National Historical Museum to showcase the king’s reforms—particularly his legal codex, the Kartuli Sakhle—and his famed military victories, such as the Battle of Didgori in 1121. As the documentary progresses, it examines the cultural efflorescence under King David’s patronage, spotlighting the famed St. Nino monastery and the flourishing of Georgian manuscript illumination.
A significant portion of the film delves into the tumultuous era of the 16th and 17th centuries, when Kartli was caught between the expanding Ottoman Empire to the south and Safavid Persia to the east. The director juxtaposes the brutal accounts of sieges with personal stories of Georgian nobles who negotiated with foreign rulers. The trailer’s montage of a candle-lit council chamber, a dramatic reenactment of a treaty signing, and an intimate interview with historian Dr. Tamara Bagration underscores the film’s thematic exploration of identity under external pressure.
Production and Creative Team
Deadline highlights that The Kartli Kingdom is the third documentary in Arshakyan’s trilogy about Georgian history, following The Georgian Chronicles (2019) and Echoes of Tbilisi (2022). The director, who holds a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Tbilisi, says that her goal is to “bring history to life through the eyes of those who lived it.”
The film’s cinematography is credited to Mikael Dzhabladze, whose previous work on The Silk Road Revisited earned him an award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The score, composed by Lasha Nugzar, combines traditional Georgian polyphonic choirs with subtle modernist strings, providing an auditory bridge between past and present.
The Deadline article notes that the documentary’s production received funding from the Georgian National Film Center, the European Union’s Creative Europe program, and a private donation from philanthropist Giorgi Charkviani. “It’s a triumph of collaborative effort,” Arshakyan says, according to the interview embedded in the article.
IDFA Premiere and Festival Context
The Kartli Kingdom premiered its trailer at IDFA on November 14th, 2025, during the festival’s “Historical Narratives” block. Deadline’s coverage points out that IDFA, known for showcasing cutting‑edge documentary work, chose this film for its high production values and its relevance to current discussions about cultural resilience amid geopolitical upheavals.
The festival’s program director, Sophie Leclerc, commented on the documentary’s selection: “Arshakyan’s film stands out for its rigorous scholarship coupled with an engaging visual narrative. We’re excited to see how audiences will respond to this re‑examination of Georgian history.” The trailer also includes a short excerpt of the film’s closing sequence, a poignant montage that juxtaposes the contemporary streets of Tbilisi with the faded frescoes of the 13th‑century David Gareja Monastery.
The Deadline piece also links to IDFA’s official webpage for The Kartli Kingdom, which provides additional details such as screening dates (scheduled for the 22nd–24th of November), venue information (Cinema Arthouse 1, Amsterdam), and the film’s runtime (103 minutes). An embedded link to the full trailer on Vimeo is also provided, allowing readers to experience the documentary’s visual and musical language firsthand.
Anticipated Release and Reception
According to Deadline, the documentary will have a theatrical release in Georgia in early 2026, followed by a global distribution deal with the streaming platform CuriosityStream. Early reactions from film‑festival critics—who praised the film for its “intimate storytelling and meticulous archival research”—suggest that the documentary could win the “Best Historical Documentary” award at the 2026 International Film Awards. Arshakyan, who was interviewed for the article, expressed her gratitude for the early support and hinted at possible future projects focusing on other Caucasian kingdoms.
Conclusion
In sum, The Kartli Kingdom is more than a historical documentary; it is a cultural milestone that offers a nuanced look at Georgia’s medieval past. Deadline’s article captures the film’s rich narrative tapestry, the creative vision of its director and collaborators, and its significant premiere at IDFA. For viewers and scholars alike, the trailer provides a tantalizing glimpse of a documentary that promises to redefine how we perceive the intertwined histories of the Caucasus region and the broader Eastern Mediterranean.
Read the Full Deadline.com Article at:
[ https://deadline.com/2025/11/the-kartli-kingdom-idfa-trailer-exclusive-1236615689/ ]
