DEVOUT

DEVOUT provides a glimpse into the life of a 22-year-old Georgian Orthodox monk, Father Anubi, as he contemplates his understanding of faith. This inspirational story follows him as he travels the forest paths, allegory for his spiritual journey, between the many monasteries in his pristine, picturesque valley. The film bears cinematic witness to his internalized struggle as it presents a stunning visual portrait of the monks, their contemporary, ritualistic lives, and the work inside the monasteries. The camera unlocks the hidden mystery of Georgian monastic life as it travels to 17 Dzama Valley monasteries including one-perched 1400 meters on a cliff-side and was given access to a previously unrecorded sacred site that contains the remains from long ago invasions, hundreds of bones and the skulls of murdered monks, priests, bishops, and children dating from the 6th century.

  • James Higginson
    Director
  • James Higginson
    Writer
  • James Higginson
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 14, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Georgia
  • Language:
    Georgian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • IndieFest Film Awards

    United States
    Award of Excellence for Cinematography
  • Impact DOC Awards

    United States
    Award of Excellence, Documentary
Director Biography - James Higginson

Director and fine artist James Higginson(Emmy Award, 1989) premiered his first feature length experimental art film, WILLFUL BLINDNESS, a visual experience, in 2012. WILLFUL BLINDNESS received 2 awards on the international independent film festival circuit, an award of merit from LIFF, premiered in Germany as part of the Neue Deutsche Film Program in Berlin, 2013 and held the Italian Premeire at Palazzo Zenobio during the 55th Venice Biennale, 2013.
Higginson followed this success with the documentary film, DEVOUT, 2016. This feature bore cinematic witness to the internalized struggle of a young Georgian Orthodox monk as it presented a stunning visual portrait of the work and lives inside the remote monasteries. DEVOUT received awards of excellence from the IMPACT DOC Awards! and IndieFEST Film Awards.
Higginson combines his 30+ years working as a fine artist and Hollywood professional to drive his creative auteur cinematic works. He confronts the viewer with arresting images that reveal the unspoken of today's world— the sacred, the profane, the spiritual and the material. The question Higginson consistently addresses is how to tell the stories of which we all are made and addresses issues that expose our human frailty.

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