EXCLUSIVE: Georgian Anti-Putin drama The Antique, which had its world premiere at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori temporarily suspended after Russian and Croatian producers issued an injunction claiming copyright issues, is back in the courts again.
The film’s Georgian producer Zurab Magalashvili at Tbilisi-based Cinetech Film Production and director Rusudan Glurjidze have revealed that the production has been hit by a fresh lawsuit, in what they call “an increasingly aggressive attempt to undermine this Anti-Putin film”.
The drama, which is Georgia’s Oscar entry this year, takes inspiration from the real-life illegal expulsion of thousands of Georgian nationals from Russia in 2006, which included Glurjidze.
The deportations were part of the so-called 2006 Georgian–Russian espionage controversy, sparked by Georgia’s arrest of a number of Russian military officers on charges of espionage and terrorism, when Vladimir Putin was in his first term as Russian president.
According to a writ filed at the Court of Venice and seen by Deadline, Moscow-based company Viva Films, Cyprus-based Pygmalion Film and Croatian company Aventura are suing Cinetech and the Giornate degli Autori Association for compensation for “the improper use of the film” related to its public screening in the parallel Venice sidebar.
“Cinetech and with it the ‘Giornate degli Autori’ Association are liable for damages caused by the illicit communication of the work to the public which took place on 30 August and 6 September 2024,” it reads.
The fresh legal action comes two-and-a-half months after the world premiere of The Antique, scheduled for the early days of Giornate degli Autori in August, was thrown into disarray after the same Russian and Croatian producers issued an emergency decree claiming copyright issues with the screenplay.
The film’s producer Magalashvili, director Glurjidze and Paris-based sales agent MPM International contested the claims, suggesting the move to prevent the screening was politically motivated.
At the time, Magalashvili and Glurjidze said the Russian and Croatian producers had been involved in the production in the early stages of development but had fallen out of project and had no legal claim on the film.
MPM International said they had legally acquired the rights to the film from Magalashvili, who had demonstrated a full chain of rights.
The original emergency decree blocked the film’s premiere and press screenings in Venice, until the final weekend, with the filmmakers filing an appeal under Article 700 of the Code of Civil Procedure on behalf of Glurjidze, citing her alleged moral right to communicate her work to the public.
A trial related to the original decree was scheduled for November 6, but in the meantime, Viva and Avvantura, filed a new lawsuit against Cinetech and the Giornate degli Autori in the Court of Venice on October 30, with a hearing scheduled for December 4.
Magalashvili says Cinetech, which is represented by Castaldi Partners through Fabio Moretti and Manuela Molinari, is now embroiled in a pivotal legal battle in the Court of Venice.
“This legal action, aimed at undermining our commitment to artistic freedom, also targets Giornate degli Autori in an attempt to suppress independent cinema,” said Magalashvili.
“Cinetech remains steadfast in defending rights and exposing the political forces behind this attack… Our legal team has built a strong case. I would be genuinely surprised if the Venice tribunal did not dismiss this case and hold the plaintiffs accountable for legal expenses.”
MPM Premium co-founding head and creative producer Marie-Pierre Macia expressed her support for The Antique filmmakers.
“The truth is on the side of Rusudan Glurjidze and her Georgian team.”
Glurjidze says she is reeling from the original attempt to block the film, but remains resolute in her determination for it to be seen.
“This delay shattered my emotional stability and completely crushed my faith in justice but despite intense pressure to censor, we remain resolute in our fight for the soul of the film,” she said.
“Our strongest weapon is the truth—and still enduring hope for justice! We will fight to the end, even if it leads us to Strasbourg. This could become a new Georgia vs. Russia—or perhaps even Italy,” she added.
Deadline has contacted Giornate degli Autori for a comment but has not received a reply.
Moscow-based Viva Film and Cyprus-registered, Limmasol-based Pygmalion Film Productions is owned by Russian producer Nadezhda Gorshkova, and Croatia’s Zagreb-based Avvantura, belongs to producer Sergej Stanojkovski.
They are represented in Italian courts by entertainment lawyer Bruno Della Ragione and Sarah Mosole from the Venetian Bar Association
