
Nino and Keti go with a slip of paper to a line presumably meant to tell them information on Sandro's wellbeing. Varlam informs Mikhail that he and Sandro are related and says he is the enemy now- in response, Mikhail slaps Varlam.

Varlam then argues with Sandro's friend Mikhail Korisheli (who is also the local Party Secretary) after Mikhail dismisses a letter detailing Sandro's arrest as ridiculous. Seconds later the doorbell rings and two of Varlam's soldiers tell Sandro he must come with them while they begin taking Sandro's art from his walls. She wakes and tells Sandro that they must leave town, and Sandro reassures her that there is nothing they could be arrested for. Nino has a dream where she and Sandro are being chased through the town by Varlam and his men and then out into a field where they attempt to hide by burying themselves in dirt before being discovered by Varlam who then sings the same song he had performed in their apartment earlier that evening. Moments later Varlam returns and explains that Abel took the crucifix believing it could revive his mom- he gives it to Nino saying "take care of it, this is a very valuable thing."

Varlam then performs William Shakespeare's Sonnet 66, stating "a regime is a regime" before exiting Sandro's apartment through the window with his men and his son. Nino overhears and tells young Abel that his mother is alive in heaven. Keti and Abel and shown looking at a crucifix and Keti is explaining Jesus to Abel and how he is alive in heaven- Abel asks about his diseased mother and whether Jesus could revive her. Varlam begins to tell Sandro that he needs and artist like him to enlighten the people and culturally enrich them, to which Sandro replies that people can only be enlightened by a spiritual pastor. Varlam then show's up at Sandro's apartment and hits on his wife and gives Keti some birds before sending her off to play with his son Abel. He then proceeds to arrest the two people who had joined Sandro to argue on behalf of the church, but shortly after it is said that they were released. Peter Church, Notre Dame, Svetitskhoveli." Varlam appears to give in a bit to those imploring him to maintain the safety of the church but then threatens Sandro by casually informing him he know's where he lives and saw his young daughter (8 year old Keti) blowing bubbles during his mayoral parade. He says destroy the church, "then throw into fire the works of Rustaveli and Dante! Stop playing Bach, Beethoven, Verdi. Sandro argues that the destruction of the church means the destruction of the history and culture that give life to their people. Keti recalls Varlam being elected mayor when she was 8 and her father taking issue with Varlam's use of their ancient church for experiments that are ruining the infrastructure of the cathedral. We find out that the woman's name is Keti Barateli, and she was the daughter of an artist named Sandro and his beautiful wife, Nino. After this the police stand guard overnight and quickly discover the culprit responsible- it's the woman who was baking cakes at the start of the film. The next morning Varlam's corpse in unearthed once again and sat casually at a table in Abel's backyard. At the advice of his "fool" neighbor, Abel decides to rebury Varlam but to contract a cage around his grave. In response the authorities arrest Varlam's corpse. Following his funeral and burial, Varlam's corpse is soon unearthed and propped up against the tree outside his son, Abel's, residence, much to the family's horror. Varlam's grandson is the only one who seems genuinely saddened by his passing. The film moves forward to Varlam's funeral, with a line of people moving before Varlam's family and sharing their condolences. It's rather obvious that she isn't sorrowful over the death, unlike her male companion who cries that he was "a great man". The film Repentance begins with a woman baking cakes designed to look like churches and moments later discovering that a man, Varlam Aravidze, has died.The synopsis below may give away important plot points.
