Red Ants Bite

A short fiction by Elene Naveriani

In Georgia, two stranded Nigerians, Obinna and Afame, navigate the sleeping city of Tbilisi after a long night out. However, as day breaks the true colors of their ambiguous affection begin to show. In this way, they find solace despite their hostile environment.

World premiere:
- 2019, Winterthur International Kurzfilmtage
International premiere:
- 2020, IFFR – International Film Festival Rotterdam
Awards:
- 2020, Encounters Bristol: Special mention of the jury
- 2020, Festival Européen du Film Court de Brest: Departmental Council of Finistère Award
- Coproducers:
  Mishkin (CH) and Radio télévision suisse - RTS (CH)
- Cast:
  Donald Acho Nwokorie as Obinna, George Imo Obasi as Afame, Magda Lebanidze as Ana, Hadizat Yola as Ela
- Writer
  Elene Naveriani
- Directors:
  Elene Naveriani, Donald Acho Nwokorie, George Imo Obasi
- Cinematographer:
  Agnesh Pakozdi
- Costume designer:
  Mariami Chincharauli
- Editors:
  Gabriel Gonzalez, Noémie Fy
- Sound Department:
  Thomas Reichlin, Philippe Ciompi
- Specs:
  23', CH, 2019
- Languages:
  Georgian and Pidgin English

IMDb / Swiss Films

Elene Naveriani

Elene Naveriani is a Georgian director living in Switzerland. They graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Art in 2003 with a degree in Monumental Painting, and later earned a Master's in Critical Curatorial Cybermedia from the HEAD – Geneva (Geneva School of Art and Design). With their 2014 graduation short film GOSPEL OF ANASYRMA, they established a distinct cinematic style and stance. Elene's work is dedicated to bringing to light invisible stories and unheard voices, creating a space for marginalized lives. It is a cinema of resistance. Their first feature I AM TRULY A DROP OF SUN ON EARTH (2017) was premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and awarded numerous prizes at international film festivals (Seoul, Xining, Valladolid, and Porto). Elene has also directed two further acclaimed short films, RED ANTS BITE being nominated for the best Swiss short film award. In 2021, their second feature film WET SAND premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival to glowing reviews and earned the Best Actor's Prize. Elene is currently developing two new feature projects.

Filmography

2023 Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry
2021 Wet Sand
2019 Red Ants Bite
2018 Lantsky Papa’s Stolen Ox
2017 I am truly a Drop of Sun on Earth
2014 Gospel of Anasyrma