OFF EUROPA: Premiere of the documentary from Maka Batiashvili

Today in the Cinemateque Leipzig will first showing the documentary from Maka Batiashvili, "The Nearest Mountain" (2008). She was in August during the war in Pasanauri not far from South Ossetia and filmed a family in a cottage where they spend his life. Unbeliefable!


Some Content: We were living in Pshavi my parents are from there, when school age came we moved here in Pasanauri, my mother was working in the dinner as a dishwasher and also was making Hinkali. My father was baking bread and selling it for twenty years, we didn't have financial problems, my sister was studying in the school and later I also went there. My sister took care of me , she brought me from school, she washed my clothes and then she carried me to my mother's workplace. After a while my sister started having psychological problems, the neighbors wondered why she became so ill because she was so pretty and clever. At the time I was selling some products in the market , sunflower , potatoes and beans. I met my husband's father and he introduced me to him. I work nearby ,beside the bridge on the bank of the Aragvi river. It was December my husband had gone to the forest to get some wood and at that time I became ill. I didn't accept it but they took me to Chachava hospital, I didn't have such a hard time delivering the baby ....... Diego was born . When the medical staff realized I was homeless and without family they thought that I couldn't properly take care of my baby. People at the Hospital offered to raise my baby and then bring him to me when he is a bit older , I did not accept that idea and said that I somehow will raise him . I thought I would not give my sun to anyone because I would never see Diego again . Also in Jinvali someone offered to buy my baby from me , I again refused .... Had I had many children I would not sell even one of them .
- What is the name of that doll ?
- Her name is Lia .....
- Do you have another doll which is dressed with something you made ?
- No, there is not !
- For six years I've had this doll
- At the time our parents were alive , when you bought this doll , is it not ?
- Yes
- When I talk to her she does not talk to me . Go inside by yourself !
- She does not go !
- My mother was pretty but not so much
- People say she looks like our mother and me like my father
- My face looks like our mother , yes ?
- Yes ! Your face looks like our mother , is it not ?
-Yes
- Diego is coming from school , Diego did you do well on your lesson ?
- Yes .
- Did your teacher help you ?
- No - What did you say ? Did you recite your poem well ?
- Start the fire in oven ?
- Let me show you my toys ....
I play with this , with this tank
- I heard in the news that Russian soldiers should go back through the Vladicaucasus way ...... Yesterday I heard that soldiers were taking people's daughter's into the forest ..... Soldiers are invading Georgians homes and intimidating and beating them and they are taking whatever they like . One journalist said that one soldier took even a fork , they are stealing everything . In one place they killed an 85 or 95 year old man . Why did they have do that and not let him die of natural death. They promised to go away the day before yesterday but they did not go . One Russian soldier said that they were waiting for orders. Before they give us an order we will not go. - She is my life and happiness , she is my little chick and I have nobody else she is my whole life , my sweetheart , I can not live without her .


die naTo
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 46
04275 Leipzig
E-mail: info@nato-leipzig.de

After the 10 min documentary will start follow films:

Heute in der naTo: ( Montag 13.10. )
Kino		20.00 Odessa, Odessa... Dokfilm in Koop. mit dem Off-Theater-Festival MANÖVER 2008, F/Israel 2004, 96min, OmdtU
Kino		22.00 Die Reise nach Koktebel Poetisches Roadmovie, Russland 2004, 105min, OmdtU