The lapping of the Black Sea can be a comfort to some of the residents of a small Georgia village, but others feel locked in and trapped by its gentle sound. In Elene Naveriani’s meditative and quietly tragic Wet Sand, a group of townspeople come to terms with the truth about one of their residents while a torch is carried by its diligent, resilient youth.

The country of Georgia is one of the most homophobic in the world. A poll conducted in 2021 stated that almost ninety percent of the country believed that relations between same-sex couples were wrong. That staggering statistic is embodied by the townspeople when they hear that Eliko, a loner, was found hanging in the kitchen of his home. “He was a lonely man,” one person remarks.

It’s shocking to hear people talk about another human being the way they talk about Eliko. The film never explicitly says that he was gay, but they allude to it in such a casually callous way that no one wants to assist in the burial of Eliko. Only Amnon, the owner of the local café named The Wet Sand, steps up to defend Eliko’s humanity. When Eliko’s granddaughter, Moe, arrives on the scene to arrange his funeral, it’s clear that the townspeople have never seen a young woman stand up for herself like she does. She immediately bonds with Fleshka, one of Wet Sand’s employees, and she is pursued by the young, dreamy cop, Alex, whose allegiances waver as Moe discovers how close Amnon and Eliko truly were.

The dangers of mob mentality are on full display in Wet Sand. Once compassion is locked away, only hatred can be taught and thrive in such an environment. Wet Sand is a delicately-made drama about the dangers of small-town prejudices and homophobia, and the consequences of suppressing one's true desires.

~ Joey Moser

Jury Award, Best Actor, Gia Agumava: Locarno International Film Festival

Jury Award, Best Film: Al Este Film Festival (Peru)

Jury Award, Best Feature Runner-up: OUTshine Miami LGBTQ Film Festival

Special Jury Award: KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival

Official Selection: BFI Flare London LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Official Selection: Queer Lisboa