No, not that Georgia. Tucked away on the eastern shores of the Black Sea just south of the Russian Federation sits the small nation of Georgia. This mountainous country is perhaps most known for their wine making and polyphonic singing, both of which are recognized as intangible heritages by UNESCO. Here is this small but mighty list of titles for you to explore and to learn more about the country and culture of Georgia.
And Then We Danced
Merab has been training for years alongside his dance partner Mary to earn a spot in the prestigious National Georgian Ensemble. When Irakli arrives and joins their dance lessons, the two men begin a relationship that blossoms in secrecy.
In Bloom
Directed by recent International Booker Prize nominee Nana Ekvtimishvili, In Bloom is a heartbreaking story of two girls growing up and facing the struggles of life during the Georgian Civil War.
My Happy Family (Available on Netflix via Roku)
Manana has lived her life according to expectations. At 50, she decides to rent her own apartment away from her family and life in peace. The movie explores her interests, her past, and relationship to her family and the expectations that were placed upon her. This film is available on Netflix which can be accessed through one of Glencoe’s Roku devices.
Our Blood is Wine (via Kanopy)
With Georgia’s rich wine culture, a filmmaker and sommelier duo visits rural towns in Georgia to learn more about the traditional wine making processes which includes using giant clay pots called qvevri which have been used by Georgians to make wine for millennia.
Rezo (via Kanopy)
This documentary looks at the life of noted Georgian filmmaker, painter, playwright, puppeteer, and writer Rezo Gabriadze through his childhood during WWII and the life under the Soviet Union using art created by Gabriadze himself.
Since Otar Left
Since Otar Left follows the lives of three generations of women in Tbilisi: Eka, Eka’s daughter Mariana, and Mariana’s daughter Ada. When Mariana discovers that her brother Otar who had been living in France and sending letters and money back home has passed away, she and Ada impersonate Otar to comfort Eka.
Supra
Like Georgian culture, the country’s cuisine is hearty and often overlooked in the United States. From the meat-filled dumplings called Khinkali to the cheesy, eggy, breadboat Khachapuri, there are plenty of recipes in Supra that offer up a taste of Georgia’s cuisine.
Tangerines
When two injured soldiers from opposing sides of the 1993 war in Abkhazia are taken in and cared for by an elderly Estonian man named Ivo, their hatred for one another bubbles under the surface after Ivo demands non-violence under his roof.
