My Happy Family 2017

Manana, portrayed by Ia Shugliashvili, is a 50-year-old woman who makes the pivotal decision to leave behind her family, which includes her husband, children, and parents. The motivations behind her choice remain largely unknown and obscure to her family, shrouding the narrative in a veil of mystery. However, as the story unfolds, viewers gradually gain insight into Manana’s perspective. Her courageous act of challenging society’s expectations of women lends a powerful feminist undertone to My Happy Family.

Working as a schoolteacher with her own career and income, Manana takes a bold step by renting a modest apartment in the outskirts of her town. During a visit to a local market, she unexpectedly encounters a former classmate who extends an invitation to their 35th high school reunion. This reunion becomes the backdrop for a shocking revelation: her husband, Merab Ninidze, had an affair during their marriage, resulting in the birth of a son who is now 13 years old. Following this revelation, Manana adopts a clever guise as a meter-reader for the gas company, allowing her to discreetly visit Soso’s former lover and their son to understand their lives firsthand.

Adding tension to her situation, Manana finds out that her brother, Dimitri Oragvelidze, has been conversing with her new neighbors about her life choices. Although he believes his intentions are to protect her from unwanted male attention, she perceives his actions as a gross violation of her privacy and personal autonomy.

On a parallel subplot, Manana’s son, who resides with her parents and his father, shockingly announces his marriage to his pregnant girlfriend. Simultaneously, her daughter faces heartbreak when she discovers her new husband is unfaithful, a secret that Manana had stumbled upon but chose not to reveal.

The film culminates in a poignant confrontation, where Manana poses several crucial questions to Soso, leaving the audience in suspense about his possible responses. The narrative not only explores themes of betrayal and family dynamics but also highlights Manana’s quest for identity and autonomy in a world that attempts to define her.