White to Red: Exploring Femininity and Power through Visual Symbolism

The short student film White to Red (თეთრიდან წითლამდე, 2024), directed by Georgian filmmaker Liza Chaduneli, explores the theme of catcalling and the violation of personal boundaries that women often face. Rather than addressing the issue in a direct way, the director approaches it through carefully constructed visual symbolism and the use of colour, which gradually reveals the meaning of individual situations.

The film opens with a scene in which the protagonist accidentally spills a basket of red peppers. This is the first moment when the viewer encounters the dominant red colour, which becomes an important visual motif throughout the film. Red symbolizes femininity, expressiveness, blood, and inner strength. But at the same time, it also carries a hint of danger and tension, because while cutting, the spiciness gets into the girl’s eyes and causes pain.

The protagonist is dressed in a white T-shirt, which stands in direct contrast to the red colour. We could interpret it as purity, yet the pressure placed on female purity stands in direct contradiction to the main idea of the film. In this context, we should therefore perceive the colour rather as a symbol of the untarnished nature of female dignity and its refusal to be devalued. The symbol of white also reappears in the image of a flower, which — like the colour red — also symbolizes femininity.

The pepper itself can also be perceived metaphorically. Its spiciness evokes passion, emotional intensity, and sexuality. This simple moment therefore opens up a wider space to suggest the tension between desire and violence.

The escalation of the outlined conflict appears in a bathroom scene, where the violent atmosphere is embodied through sound. We hear a sequence of phrases, as if echoing in her mind, condensing various forms of insulting and harassing speech. The sound design is aggressive and gradually intensifies. Soon, the sound begins to connect with colour. After several phrases, red stains start to appear on the protagonist’s white clothing. She then slowly begins to smear the red across her body, which further heightens the tension of the situation. The words seem to have a direct impact on her body, as the psychological merges with the physical.

The scene’s editing effectively alternates between the image of the blood-stained clothing and a white flower. Just as on the clothing, red colour begins to appear on the flower as well, influenced by the sequence of spoken phrases.

A significant shift in atmosphere occurs in the film’s final shot. Once again, the strong meaning of one of the central symbols comes to the forefront — the protagonist is chewing large pieces of spicy pepper, yet the spiciness no longer appears as a threatening element. This time, she takes control of the potential risk, gaining power over herself and her decisions. She is no longer shaped by danger, but by her own passion.

Through visual symbolism, the director challenges the division between purity and defilement, innocence and sin. She brings an important social issue to the forefront: the idea, often present in society, that women are somehow responsible for inappropriate remarks or even assaults — whether because of their fashion choices, clothing, makeup, or behaviour. This notion is thoroughly examined and critiqued through the director’s artistic treatment. In the end, the red colour no longer appears as defilement, but rather as an acceptance of one’s own femininity — whether gentle or passionate, bold or delicate. Its expression is directly linked to the uniqueness of each woman, rich and unbounded by the fear of violence.