On 25 April 2016, the Russian Academy of Arts hosted a screening of a documentary titled “The Russian and the Georgians”.
This documentary was filmed by the Russian guild of screenwriters, supported by MGIMO MFA of Russia and funded by the Russkiy Mir Foundation.
“The Russians and the Georgians” tells us about the Russian people living in Georgia, and Georgians living in Russia, about national peculiarities and our cultural code.
In the film, the authors give the floor to our fellow ordinary people. The heroes are chosen to mirror each other: Russian language teacher in Tbilisi and Georgian teacher in Moscow, Russian painter in Georgia and Georgian painter in Russia, two designers living in the countries’ capitals, Russian in Georgian children living in Georgia and Russia.
The paradox of the film is that there is no word about the politics. The authors focus on the destinies of two nations; links between these nations are revealed through the honest stories told on camera, or pictures of the daily life, and views of Moscow and Tbilisi at night.
Together with the unusual characters and reechoing daily life of the two countries, this film is unique because of the voice over did by philosopher Merab Mamardashwili; the recording was done short before his death. In the film, Vladimir Lukin, his close friend, tells us about the life of Mamardashwili so closely connected with both Georgia and Russia.
The documentary was produced by director Yegeny Kozhokin, screenwriter Yana Rayskaya, camera man Filipp Martynov and many more.
The event gathered representatives of the diplomatic missions, community workers, political sociologists, journalists, and, of course, the heroes of the film.
