13 Tzameti

13 Tzameti

This movie is interesting and very captivating even for someone who has no patience for foreign films that are not in English. The concept is in a sense shocking at the same time familiar .

Sébastien is a 22-year old man working on a house of a morphine addict, Godon. Godon dies of an overdose. As Sébastien is clearing out his things because Godon’s widow informs him that she cannot pay him, he overhears a conversation between the widow and the deceased’s friend describing a job that the deceased had lined up that would pay a hefty sum of money.

Unknowingly, Sébastien steals the envelope containing the instructions for the job, all the while he’s under police surveillance.

He begins his journey to one of the more ‘gruesome’ betting games. I can’t say more without spoiling it.


My take:

The subject matter is definitely more adult orientated.

The fact that the entire movie is in black and white gives it an artistic feel to it, making it for me, less grisly and more fanciful.

Interesting facts

Tzameti is the Georgian word for thirteen.

Gela Babluani (director) is Georgian.

13 Tzameti is the feature length directorial debut for Babluani, it is also the the acting debut of George Babluani, (younger brother of the director) who plays the film's protagonist Sébastien.

An American remake of the film is in the works, however Babluani intends to "change a lot of the storyline" and avoid reshooting the original film. He has also indicated that he intends to shoot the remake in color (Screening at the University of Notre Dame, 23 Feb 2007).


4 pills out of 5 pills