IMAGO
In this autofiction about homeland and homecoming, filmmaker Déni Oumar Pitsaev returns to his roots in the Georgian valley of Pankissi, in the shadow of the mighty Caucasus. Inhabited by war refugees with whom he shares Chechen—a place that now exists only in memory—heritage, he is forced to confront everything he has fled from for years: tradition, family, religion, and a silenced identity. Winner of the French Touch Jury Prize at Critics' Week and the Œil d'Or for Best Documentary at Cannes, this meticulously crafted and deeply symbolic drama—with shades of Óliver Laxe’s Lo que arde (Fire Will Come)—never feels morose thanks to masterful editing by Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall) and Dounia Sichov (Return to Seoul). A blend of personal testimony with a broader social fresco on roots, memory, and exile, this poignant film evokes the slow-burning tensions of relentless conflicts that refuse to be extinguished.
Direction: Déni Oumar Pitsaev
Screenwriters: Déni Oumar Pitsaev, Mathilde Trichet
Cinematography: Sylvain Verdet, Joachim Philippe
Editor: Laurent Sénéchal, Dounia Sichov
Music: Marie Paulus, André Rigaut, Joseph Squire
Production: Alexandra Melot, Anne-Laure Guégan, Géraldine Sprimont
Producer: Triptyque Films
Cast: Déni Oumar Pitsaev, Daoud Margoshvili, Temo Tcintcalashvili, Malika Tcintcalashvili















