Press release from Adele Feletto Publicity
The internationally acclaimed short film, Via Gori, will screen at the upcoming Adelaide Film Festival as part of the Australian programme San Frontières (Without Borders) on Saturday February 26 and Tuesday March 1 2011.
Directed and written by George Barbakadze, produced by Scott Gustetter and Lazaro Hernandez and billed a ‘masterful work of cinema’, winning the Best Short Film at the Whistler Film Festival in December 2010, Via Gori is a thought-provoking and heartfelt ‘must-see’ film.
Russian planes start bombing the Georgian town of Gori when a Russian woman has to travel inconspicuously on a minibus with Georgian evacuees. A single Russian word uttered by her or her young daughter could make them the enemy of everyone around. Will they pass unnoticed or will they be discovered?
This film is based on the real events of summer 2008 – the war between Russia and Georgia over Georgia's province of South Ossetia. The film's writer and director was caught in the conflict in August of 2008 and had to flee the country under the Russian bombing of Gori, Tbilisi and nearby regions and towns.
Interestingly, Russia chose to start the bombing of Gori and vicinities on 8/8/08, to coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games in China – thus receiving less coverage in the media and lower importance press.
Several of the actors in the film are refugees from the Georgian province of Abkhazia, which was annexed by Russia along with South Ossetia.
Via Gori is a personal reflection on the events of that time, but also a hope for reconciliation between countries and cultures – a wish for people to come together at a human level, putting aside the economic and political constraints that exacerbate the tensions and ongoing conflict.
Via Gori was filmed entirely in Georgia in 2009 – in and around the town of Gori.
Post-production was done in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
The film is in Russian and Georgian with English subtitles.
There will be two screenings:
Saturday February 26 2011 – 3pm, at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas 7
Tuesday March 1 2011 – 1:15pm, at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas 7