2017 | Documentary | 14 min. | Georgia, Russia
Somewhere in the mountains, near a small river, a tiny village Tobanieri lies. People there are not that happy... Although they are not sad. Their life flows like wine. Each of them has their own dreams and tragedies. Because the land, on which they live, once belonged to God.
Directors Statement
Despite the fact, that I am Georgian, I lived in Moscow all my life, and, honestly, I have not even learned the Georgian language. Only occasionally, quite a while, I came to a small Georgian village, which was called Tobanieri, and so I could not fully understand what this place is, and why the people there are so different from the others. I wanted to catch and capture in my mind those atmosphere, those faces and eyes, to understand people, who have a completely different look at the world. But, nevertheless, from time to time, a chance to do it was slipping away from me. It's so hard to pass through yourself a foreign way of life, foreign traditions and views. And then I realized, that the only chance to get to the most intimate and secret - is to make a film about this place. To make it so that others can see what I saw. And we went with my friend to the same village, located near the majestic mountains, and started shooting our film. And in the end we have understood... Despite the friendliness, hospitality and spontaneity, the infinite sadness was always in the air, and material poverty was close to spiritual wealth. This duality had flourished in everything and everywhere. Humility frozen on the people's faces. The ancient traditions were wrapped up in destroyed homes, unfulfilled dreams and personal tragedies. Because where life is a warm and thriving, nearby, hiding, death is waiting quietly in the wings.
Directors: Vakhtang Zhorzholiani and Pavel Tsyplenkov
Producers: Vakhtang Zhorzholiani and Pavel Tsyplenkov
