92 min | Switzerland, Georgia, Germany | 2021
Synopsis:
A powerful anonymous man has developed an unusual hobby. He buys century-old trees, some as tall as 15-story buildings, from communities along the Georgian coast and has them excavated to collect them for his private garden. In order to transplant trees of such dimensions, the landscape surrounding them is ripped apart and the people living around them are forced to adapt to the disruption. As the film follows this process, it portrays the needs and values of today’s Georgian society and reflects on the theme of forced migration, where "uprooting" is more than a metaphor.
Directors: Salomé Jashi
Salomé Jashi was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1981. She first studied journalism and worked as a reporter for several years. Salomé’s The Dazzling Light of Sunset (2016) was awarded the Main Prize at Visions du Réel’s Regard Neuf Competition and several other festivals. Her earlier work, Bakhmaro (2011), received an Honorary Mention for a Young Documentary Talent at DOK Leipzig, was awarded as the Best Central and Eastern European Documentary at Jihlava IDFF. Salomé is the founder of two production companies: Sakdoc Film and Microcosmos.
Writers: Salomé Jashi | Producers: Vadim Jendreyko, Erik Winker, Martin Roelly, Salomé Jashi | Editing: Chris Wright | DOP: Goga Devdariani, Salomé Jashi | Sound: Philippe Ciompi | Music: Celia Stroom | Language: Georgian | Subtitles: English, Arabic