'Brighton 4th': A film about Russian-speaking immigrants in New York conquers US cinemas

Brighton Beach took center stage in one of the year's most celebrated films, and the area's special atmosphere and unique character played a central role in 'Brighton 4th', reports Brooklyn paper. South Brooklyn has made a number of movie screen appearances, perhaps most prominently in Darren Aronofsky's 2000 drug melodrama or as "Hove Beach" in Grand Theft Auto IV.

But it wasn't until the release of 'Brighton 4th', which is now in US theaters, that the ex-Soviet immigrant community that makes up the area's bread and butter got its time on the silver screen in a realistic way, shattering stereotypes about the American dream.

Multiple awards at the Tribeca Film Festival

'Brighton 4th', Georgian-Russian speaking film by Georgian director Levan Koguashvili, in full swing at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan after victories in the Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actor nominations in the International Narrative part of last year's Tribeca Film Festival.

On the subject: Tbilisi tycoon bought an expensive house in Brooklyn: now immigrants from Georgia live there for free

The film follows Kahi, an aging former wrestler from Tbilisi, Georgia, who travels to Brighton Beach to spend time with his son. The son wants to become a doctor, but for now he lives in a hostel on Brighton 4th Street with other immigrants from the former Soviet Union and is trying to get a green card.

In Brighton Beach, Kahi learns that his son Soso is struggling to get a green cardmoving boxes to earn a living in the promised land. He has a girlfriend he wants to marry to speed up his application. But he cannot pay the registration fee due to his growing debt to local mobsters. Kahi, whose son means the world to him, takes on odd jobs to help him pay off a debt.

Kakhi was masterfully played by 73-year-old Levan Tediashvili, a true former Olympic wrestler whose only other role was in 1987. But the real star of the show is the cast: Kahi's sister-in-law, who runs the hostel and gives him a job, an opera singer who works as a doorman, a man who made it to Brighton Beach after a dangerous and expensive boat trip from the Bahamas, Soso's girlfriend, a US citizen, on whom he wants to marry for a green card.

Hostel residents have long conversations with each other over suluguni cheese, which Kahi smuggled from Tbilisi. They discuss the difficulties they face in Brighton Beach. The heroes expected big and powerful things, but as immigrants (some without papers), they find themselves in seemingly the same situations as in the old country - debts, lousy bosses, dilapidated housing and the feeling that the American dream is a farce.

"America - the land of opportunity - starts at Brighton Beach and ends at Brighton Beach."

Despite the difficulties they face, all the residents of the hostel show solidarity when their neighbors are in trouble. For example, Soso with his debts or a girlfriend whose boss steals wages for four months.

Despite all the difficulties and all the problems that people usually get into, the community still supports each other.

When the nominations for the 8th Academy Awards were announced on February 94, the film may have been rejected in the Best International Film category. However, 'Brighton 4th''s simple yet powerful plot, combined with the strong acting and documentary significance of the location in the eponymous district, made it worth watching.

"Brighton 4th" is currently playing at the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan.