Loved this honest film, talking about 90s Georgia, another ex communist country that felt the urge to face its painful past by leaving cinematic testimony of the difficult times. Poverty, social unrest, every day struggle to make ends meet. I'm only surprised this films hasn't come out sooner, but in all honesty, I don't know much about Georgian cinema...so I might have missed earlier social dramas of the kind.
It's a spring/summer time in Tbilisi, the nature is in bloom, connected nicely to life and unrest of the blooming youth. And so much poverty and misery! Apparent in the run down buildings, school, houses, everywhere you go traces of decay follow. And we follow lives of two female leads, 14 year old girls Eka and Natia and their friends/family. Just normal teens during abnormal times...something the first world have never experienced at this scale and probably never will.
The themes of domestic violence that coincides with violence on bigger plan, having your school crush hand you a gun as a present, walking around with the gun, bringing it to school without teachers noticing or caring, being abducted, deflowered and forced to marry at the age of 14 just doesn't sound like your standard society.
But to contrast the violence and omnipresent misery: the world and all the light outside really made a huge impression on me, the beauty of nature against the ugliness of run down communist architecture and rude, nervous behavior of people...so much unrest, and such a still world outside the window,outside society. Seasons shift, governments change, wars end, but nature is always in bloom and relentlessly luscious in spring. As is youth...it should not be depraved of the pleasure of enjoying themselves while the turbulent but sweet youthful years last. Looks like Eka, Natia and others were not as lucky. They were forced to grow up prematurely, much earlier than they should have, than anybody should. Very good film, and important testimony. Nice job!
