A Song Without Home

A Song Without Home
სიმღერა სახლის გარეშე
A Film by Rati Tsiteladze

After 11 years confined to her family home, Adelina flees from a Georgian village to Vienna in search of the freedom to be herself. As she builds a new life, she faces a past that refuses to let her go. Through immersive imagery and the mother-daughter bond, A Song Without Home paints a layered portrait of belonging and the complexity of freedom beyond physical liberation.

A SONG WITHOUT HOME made history as the first Georgian documentary ever selected for the CPH:DOX Main Competition.

Presented by CPH:DOX as “cinematic breakthrough debut,” A Song Without Home is CPH:DOX’s nominee for the prestigious Doc Alliance Award for Best Feature Film.

A Song Without Home expands on the short Prisoner of Society (2018), which was nominated for a European Film Academy Award and played a crucial role in securing asylum for Adelina.

Festivals

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

PRESS QUOTES

“An impressionistic, haunting documentary. The film is as haunting as it is touching, as Georgian filmmaker Rati Tsiteladze goes for a varied but consistent, distinctly impressionistic, approach. The music and sound by Marius Leftărache are meticulously designed and ever-present, playing a decisive role in how the director takes us through the story and the protagonists’ states of mind. — Vladan Petkovic, Cineuropa

“A meditative, visually arresting, and empathetic chronicle of a Georgian trans woman’s life in Austria. The filmmaker sensitively burrows into the protagonist’s psyche to deliver a strong narrative about a strained relationship with family and with self-acceptance.” — Murtada Elfadl, Variety

“A striking documentary. Such remarkable use of cinematic language opens up a field of multiple interpretations. Rati Tsiteladze’s direction is precise, pure, and minimalist… A reminder of how very much our dreams and our intimate search for happiness are shaped by society and the collective imaginary. Surprising, bitter documentary from Georgia… An intimate story that speaks to all of humanity.” — Melita Zajc, Modern Times Review

“A Song Without Home is a raw and heartbreaking film that asks a question relevant to all immigrants: what happens on the other side of ‘freedom’ in the West?” — Estrid Hedegaard Knudsen, Magasinet rØST

“Rati Tsiteladze manages to showcase the loneliness of an ostracized queer person with such care and artistic integrity. At times a tough watch, but very much worth it.” — Frede Windahl, Filmmagasinet Ekko

“There is great empathy in the way the heroine is portrayed. Creating one’s own world becomes a way of finding solace as ours grows increasingly inhumane. When Adelina, naked, dances in front of Schönbrunn Palace, it becomes a powerful symbol: a reclamation of her identity, her body, and her right to be there.” — Nicolas Bardot, Le Polyester

“Visually creative portrait.” — Rory O’Connor, The Film Stage

“A great example of a film that transcends the obvious in its sensitive subject, treating its troubled, endangered, and brave protagonist with both openness and care. Thanks to a varied—and thus inevitably bumpy—yet consistent directing approach, with carefully devised camerawork, captivating sound design, and creative editing, the film is as touching as it is haunting, convincingly conveying the protagonist’s inner world and the external forces shaping it.” — Vladan Petkovic, Documentary Magazine

“Rati Tsiteladze’s intimate portrait of a trans woman trying to reconcile her past, present, and future is understated but deeply moving.” — Hannah Strong, Little White Lies

“A Song Without Home makes you feel the suffocating, imprisoning nature of transphobia in your own body. Dreams and love struggle against a dark, merciless, and unfeeling world, yet the hope for a better life still shines through.” — Mikkel Lind Kristiansen, Ordet Tidsskrift for Film og Medier

RECOGNITION & JURY STATEMENTS

“A deeply moving film about the struggles of a transgender person searching for safety, dignity, and a place to belong. Through her journey, the film reveals the courage it takes to live truthfully in a world that often remains hostile and unsafe for queer people. With sensitivity and compassion, it brings visibility to a story that urgently needs to be heard. For giving voice to this powerful and important story, the Honorable Mention goes to A Song Without Home – directed by Rati Tsiteladze.”— Mermaid Award, TiDF, Deadline

International Festival History and Industry Recognition

A Song Without Home was presented at major international documentary industry platforms, including CPH:FORUM at CPH:DOX, Pitch Days at DOC NYC, Eastern Promises at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, CineLink Industry Days at the Sarajevo Film Festival, AGORA Docs in Progress at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Meeting Point Vilnius at the Vilnius International Film Festival, Take on Film & Impact at Movies that Matter Festival, East Doc Platform by the Institute of Documentary Film, Baltic Sea Docs, and Ji.hlava New Visions at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.

A Song Without Home was recognized with the HBO Max Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival; the Silver Eye Award from the Institute of Documentary Film, with the jury citing its innovative visual approach and powerful use of imagery; the Docu Talent from the East Award, with the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival jury highlighting its distinctive visual language and compelling portrayal of the protagonist’s life; the Impact Award from Together Films and The StoryBoard Collective at Movies that Matter Festival, recognizing the project’s urgency and the film’s beautifully gentle, bold, and deeply moving approach; and the MQ Artists-in-Residence Award from MuseumsQuartier Wien.

The film was also developed at Docu Rough Cut Boutique.

სიმღერა სახლის გარეშე

„სიმღერა სახლის გარეშე“ რატი წითელაძის ქართული დოკუმენტური ფილმია, რომლის მსოფლიო პრემიერა CPH:DOX 2026-ის მთავარ საკონკურსო პროგრამაში გაიმართა. ფილმი ისტორიაში შევიდა, როგორც პირველი ქართული დოკუმენტური ნამუშევარი, რომელიც ფესტივალის მთავარ კონკურსში შეირჩა.

Info

  • Title:A Song Without Home
  • Georgian Title:სიმღერა სახლის გარეშე
  • Director, Cinematographer, Editor:Rati Tsiteladze
  • Producer:Olga Slusareva
  • With:Adelina
  • Composer:Marius Leftărache
  • Colorist:Claudiu Doaga
  • Sound Mixing:Marius Leftărache
  • Workflow Supervisor:Sebastian Plămădeală
  • Postproduction Supervisor:Carmen Rizac
  • Sound Editing:Dragos Știrbu
  • Online Editing:Andrei Armășelu
  • Deliverables:Alexandru Stoica, Andrei Armășelu
  • Year:2026
  • Countries:GE / US / DK / AT
  • Country of Filming:Georgia, Austria
  • Languages:Georgian, German, English
  • Runtime:1 hr 15 min
  • Film Color:Black & White and Color
  • Production Company:ArtWay Film