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Sorrowful tunes of sunny land

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Office South Caucasus.

The film is a part of the project “Introduction of Gender Dimension in Modern Georgian Society Via Contemporary Art” 2007

The four-part documentary film ‘Sorrowful Tunes of Sunny Land’ survey four regions of Georgia, where four female authors

put local inhabitants to an artistic test on gender sensitivity.

Film created by artists:

	Bolnisi. Khashuri Natela Grigalashvili
	Gurjaani Maka Batiashvili
	Ozurgeti Irina Abzhandadze
	Akhaltsikhe Tamar Melikishvili

In the first chapter “Bolnisi, Khashuri” Author Natela Grigalashvili in monotonous rhythm of pastoral genre tells about Georgian village life (middle Georgia) using artistic images, where peasant woman performs dominating role. In the following chapter “Gurjaani” author Maka Batishvili tells about woman violence and incomprehension in the patriarchal regional reality (East Georgia), and in the final Tamar Melikishvili presents area of “Akhalstikhe” (South Georgia) as oasis of gender balance. Irina Abzhandadze presents the third chapter (the most long part) “Ozurgeti” (west Georgia) where women and men participate in different life styles and with different views. One of them is a famous singer and has a man’s voice, other is first woman in Georgia who can hunt with a tamed falcon. The film also relates about an actress of academic theatre who works as a janitor and knits beautiful dolls, very interesting image of a widow etc...

In the final shot with the title “Epilogue” - author presents a documentary story of Gurian horsemen triumph in England and America in the end of 19th century using artistic images (horse and sea) and sound. Between them werethe five rider women. One of them - Maro Zakareishvili - was riding three horses at one time.

Director of photography : Natela Grigalashvili

Program coordinator: Tinatin Mrulishvili

Project coordinator: Alexandra Gabunia

Project director: Nino Gujabidze

Regional coordinators:

Maia Nepharidze (Kvemo Kartli)

Jilda Nibladze-Kharitonashvili (Kakheti)

Nana Mjavanadze (Guria)

Nana Natenadze (Samtskhe-Javakheti)

Edited by Irakli Alaznispireli, Zurab Salakaia, Teimuraz Machavariani

Original music : Levan Svanidze

In the film is used the music of Georges Bizet, Japanese tam-tam and Georgian folk music –“Urmuli”, “Gutnuri”, “Tushuri”, “Datireba”

In the film is used the shots from the films of Federico Fellini and Derek Jarmen “8 ½” and “The Last of England”