Georgian director George Ovashvili is returning to the main competition at KVIFF with his drama Khibula. The film is based on a true story and tries to teach the audience not only about historical events, but also about Georgia’s natural and cultural treasures.
Film has a clear goal: to illustrate as authentically as possible a situation that took place in Georgia more than twenty-five years ago, when the first democratically elected Georgian president was suddenly overthrown in a military putsch. With a group of his faithful companions, the president sets off on a pilgrimage to the mountains where he meets his supporters. “We tracked the actual timeline of the story, specifically the last 50 days of the president’s life. The journey that the central character embarks on is essentially not so much an actual trip as an inner journey. This is also why I decided not to show the pursuers in the film, but instead focused mainly on the character of the president and how he arrives at his own demise,” said director Ovashvili. Contributing to the authenticity of the film is the fact that the film’s creator obtained notes from one of the people who had taken the journey with the president.
Director George Ovashvili kept this story in a drawer for many years. “I though about it a long time and finally decided the time was right to begin asking questions,” explained Ovashvili, adding that he expects the film will be received in Georgia with a lot controversy.
The creators tried to present the story neutrally, even though no one fully sympathised with the main character: “In my opinion, Zviad Gamsachurdia was not suited for the role of president. He was a poet and had a very spiritual nature. Faith played in important role in his life and believed he could change everything,” opined screenwriter Roelof Jan Minneboo.
Visual poetry is an unmistakable attribute of Ovashvili’s work. In addition to capturing commanding scenery, the author delved in detail into the culture of the inhabitants of the Caucasian country. “The film should connect the past with the environment of present-day Georgia, which has a rich natural and cultural heritage,” said producer Guillaume De Seille. According to producer Eikea Goreczka, the president’s story is symbolically very similar to the story of Jesus: “For me, the film is a lot about power, but also about faith. First you have to believe something yourself, and then you have wait to see if the people decide to follow you.”
