Déni, an exiled filmmaker, returns to the Pankisi Valley, where he dreams of building a treehouse. Right on the border of his homeland, can he start a new life?
Déni Oumar Pitsaev has a dream: to build a tree house. To make it happen, his mother gives him a plot of land in the Pankisi Gorge, one of the many Georgian valleys currently home to a large community of Chechen refugees.
Premiering at Cannes' 2025 Critics' Week, 'Imago' is a diary that patiently constructs a narrative about exile, distant family, norms and customs, war, and the future. Somewhat in the style of Kiarostami, through conversations with relatives, friends, and children, something resembling home begins to emerge. In the director's own words, it's not a film about returning, but rather about leaving.
Danilo Petrovich, FIDOCS 29 programmer
Déni Oumar Pitsaev (1986, Chechnya) grew up between Grozny, Saint Petersburg, and Almaty. He holds a degree in film directing from INSAS, Brussels, and a Master's degree in audiovisual arts from LUCA School of Arts. He is an alumnus of the Locarno Filmmakers Academy and IDFAcademy. He directed the short films 'The Girl Who Plays a Game' (2016) and 'Looking for Deni' (2017). 'Imago', his first feature-length documentary, premiered at the Cannes Critics' Week.