Alda
In a salt village, a mother hides her secret as her levitating son stirs fear, suspicion and panic.
In a remote salt-making village, Alda's son Lukas begins mysteriously levitating, rising higher each week. When unexplained deaths, fires and accidents spread panic, an ancient stone is uncovered, warning that a rising child can see the hidden sins of those below. Fear turns the villagers against Lukas, each terrified of what he may reveal. When Alda's husband returns from war, she faces an impossible choice: confess a secret that could destroy her marriage and reputation, or remain silent as the village prepares to sacrifice her son.
Director's note
The image of a levitating person fascinated me since childhood. I remember hearing stories about Buddhist monks who, through meditation, were believed to rise from the ground. As a child, I often imagined what it would feel like to slowly lift away from the earth. That mysterious image stayed with me for many years before it found its place in this story.
The idea for Saltmakers came later, while watching the news. During wars and social crises, the most vulnerable are always children. They are the ones adults promise to protect, yet they are often the first to suffer. I wanted to combine this painful reality with the image of a child rising into the air while the adults below struggle with fear, guilt, and responsibility.
In the film, levitation becomes a mirror for the village. As Lukas rises, the villagers begin to fear what he might reveal about them. What begins as wonder slowly turns into paranoia and violence.
Biography
Georgian filmmaker, writer and producer, and founder of Film Asylum. He discovered cinema during the war, when his grandfather, a gifted imitator, screened silent 16mm films during power cuts and performed every character live. Seeing how cinema could bring people joy even through war, cold and hardship, Vako decided he would make films too. His work has screened internationally, including at the Montréal World Film Festival, and received recognition from the Student Academy Awards.
Producer's note
Saltmakers takes place in a remote salt-making village in fourteenth-century Georgia, offering a visually striking and rarely seen historical setting. The harsh mountain landscape, the physical labour of salt production, and the fragile village economy create a grounded world where survival depends on community and trust. When a boy begins mysteriously levitating, fear spreads through the village and slowly exposes hidden tensions and secrets among its people. The supernatural event becomes a catalyst that reveals guilt, paranoia, and the dangers of collective hysteria. From a production perspective, the story combines a contained location, a focused cast, and a strong visual concept.
Biography
Nika Gugushvili is a Georgian film producer working with Film Asylum across narrative, documentary and television projects. His credits include producing "Winter Blues", "Last Season" and the documentary Never Stop: A Lifetime Journey, broadcast.
Profile
Film Asylum is an independent Georgian production company creating narrative films, documentaries, TV series and commercials. With in-house development, editing and colour, we focus on character-driven stories and collaborate with local and international partners.