FILM: Folds and Cracks (2009) - a short film by Zaza Rusadze (tube.7s-b.com)

(tube.7s-b.com) Synopsis - A young rock climber envisions the beautiful mountain landscape as a non-accessible place of his desire. The place, which he takes to be real, only exists in his dreams as a conceptual idea.

with - Ilo Beroshvili and Rezi Chkheidze

Screenplay by - Zaza Rusadze and Nika Machaidze
Directed by - Zaza Rusadze
Director of Photography - Tato Kotetishvili
Production Designer - Polina Rudchik
Costume Designer - Polina Rudchik
Special Effects - Nika Machaidze
Stunt Supervisor - Avto Kurasbediani
Editor - Zaza Rusadze
Sound - Goglik Gogoladze and Irakli Ivanishvili
Original Score -Tusia Beridze

Discovery Award at the 19th Cottbus Festival of East European Cinema

a Zazarilm poduction in collaboration with Sanguko Films © 2009 | 8 min | H-DV | color | 16:9 | stereo

FILM: A FOLD IN MY BLANKET a film by Zaza Rusadze during the BERLINALE 2013 (zazarusadze.com)

On Thursday February 7, the Panorama’s main programme will open with an astonishing directorial debut from Georgia: In Chemi Sabnis Naketsi (A Fold in my Blanket), Zaza Rusadze uses a highly imaginative cinematic language to portray the friendship of two men in a culture undergoing change.

Synopsis: Dmitrij's monotonous days drag on, between working in the courthouse and his solitary rock-climbing excursions. In his endeavours to escape the stifling conformity of a small Georgian provincial town, Dmitrij gradually begins to integrate his newly met friend Andrej in his fantasy world. Then Andrej vanishes.

Back in reality: Dmitrij learns that Andrej has been accused of murder. Dmitrij offers to testify, to cover for his friend and to convince the court that at the time of the murder he and Andrej were on a rock climbing trip. Dmitrij's evidence obviously stems from his daydream. The testimony is met with disbelief at the court hearing. Andrej is ultimately convicted, and, although all would seem lost, Dmitrij begins to nurture a spiritual rebellion within his soul. 

A FOLD IN MY BLANKET - Screening Dates:

07.02.2013 - 19:00 - CinemaxX 7
08.02.2013 - 20:15 - CineStar 3
09.02.2013 - 22:30 - Cubix 7& 8
10.02.2013 - 14:00 - International
12.02.2013 - 17:45 - CineStar 3
17.02.2013 - 22:30 - Colosseum 1

A FOLD IN MY BLANKET a film by Zaza Rusadze
Georgia | 35mm | 1.85:1 | color | 73 minutes | Georgian, Russian
© 2013 a Zazarfilm Production
with the support of Georgian National Film Center

www.zazarusadze.com








Georgia’s Fold in My Blanket Heads to Berlin (.filmneweurope.com)

A Fold in My Blanket, the feature film debut of Georgian film director Zaza Rusadze, will have its world premiere at the 63rd Berlinale (7-17 February 2013) where it will screen in the non-competitive Panorama section.

A Fold of My Blanket received a grant of 575,000 GEL from the Georgian National Film Center (GNFC, www.gnfc.ge) in 2011. The film was produced by the director’s production company Zazarfilm (www.zazarusadze.com).

The action takes place in a Georgian town in the near future when a young man returns home from studying abroad to begin work at the court of law and break the daily routine through his hobby of mountain climbing. Looking at the landscape from atop a mountain, he tries to free himself from the claustrophobia of his native town. The cast of both young and experienced actors includes Avtandil Makharadze who returns to films after Tenghiz Abuladze’s Repentance (1984) and Mikheil Kalatozishvili’s The Chosen One (1992).

Some 15 Georgian films have participated in the Berlinale, beginning with Giorgi Shelgelaya’s The Trip of a Young Composer, which won the Silver Bear in 1986. In1993 Temur Babluani’s The Sun of the Sleepless was awarded for Best Direction.

The Georgian National Film Center, which has been actively cooperating with the Berlin Film Festival for seven years, invited representatives of the Berlin Film Festival to Tbilisi in 2011–2012 to view recent Georgian films.
Georgia will also be represented at the Festival’s European Film Market this year.

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Georgian Film in the Official Program of the 63th Berlin Film Festival  (gnfc.ge)

Ten New Films Awarded Funds by the Global Film Initiative (constantcontact.com)   

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Zaza Rusadzes Spielfilmdebüt läuft bei Berlinale

Vor Jahren arbeitete Filmstudent Zaza Rusadze (35) noch als Übersetzer bei der Berlinale, jetzt ist der gebürtige Georgier mit seinem Spielfilmdebüt eingeladen worden. A Fold in My Blanket feiert in der Panorama-Reihe des vom 7. bis 17. Februar stattfindenden Festivals Weltpremiere.

Der Absolvent der Babelsberger Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen Konrad Wolf (HFF) erzählt eine Geschichte von zwei jungen Männern und einem mysteriösen Wald. Dmitrij (Tornike Bziava) und Andrej (Tornike Gogrichiani) wollen aus der Angepasstheit ausbrechen. Sie entdecken einen illusorischen magischen Wald, in dem Andrej verschwindet. Kurze Zeit später erfährt Dmitrij, dass Andrej des Mordes angeklagt ist. Andrej hat kein Alibi dieses soll Dmitrij liefern. Die Enthüllung über den magischen Wald und Andrejs seltsames Verschwinden darin sorgt für Aufruhr bei der Gerichtsverhandlung. Andrej wird für schuldig befunden und zum Tode verurteilt. Alles scheint verloren...

Der in Berlin und Tiflis lebende Rusadze fand schon früh zu bewegten Bildern: Von 1989 bis 1994 moderierte er ein Jugendmagazin des georgischen TV. 1996 wurde Rusadze als bis dahin jüngster Regiestudent an der HFF aufgenommen. Sein Studium schloss er 2003 mit dem Dokumentarfilm Banditen ab. 2006/07 studierte er an der Kunsthochschule Amsterdam, erarbeitete dort das Konzept zu A Fold of my Blanket, gründete 2007 die Filmproduktionsgesellschaft Zazarfilm. 2010 bekam er ein Stipendium, um das Drehbuch für seinen Spielfilmdebüt zu entwickeln.. (R.N)

EHRUNG: Deutsch-Georgischer Kulturpreis an Giwi Margwelaschwili (goethe.de)

Preisverleihung
1. Februar 2013, 17:00 Uhr
Tumanischwili-Theater, Aghmaschenebeli Prospekt 164, Tbilissi
Deutsch / Georgisch
Auf Einladung!
+995 32 2938945
info@tbilissi.goethe.org 

(goethe.de) Das Regionalbüro des Deutschen Volkshochschulverbands (/dvv international/) und das Goethe-Institut Georgien verleihen an Giwi Margwelaschwili für seine Verdienste um die deutsch-georgischen Kulturbeziehungen einen zukünftig nach ihm zu benennenden Kulturpreis.

Der Preis wird am 1.2. 2013, um 17:00 Uhr im Tumanischwili-Theater in Tiflis/Georgien im Rahmen eines Festakts verliehen werden. Die Laudatio wird Lothar Müller, Literaturkritiker der „Süddeutschen Zeitung“ halten. Anschließend hält Dr. Frank Tremmel einen Vortrag "Giwi Margwelaschwilis Lösung aus den Verstrickungen der Geschichte."

Das Programm wird durch eine theatralisierte Darstellung nach Giwi Margwelaschwilis historischem Märchen „Zuschauerräume“ umrahmt und durch die Filmvorführung von Marika Lapauri-Burks und Niko Tarielaschwilis experimentellen Dokumentarfilm „Zuschauerräume“ abgeschlossen.

Giwi Margwelaschwili ist durch sein Leben und sein Werk zu einer Symbolfigur für die deutsch-georgischen Kulturbeziehungen im letzten Jahrhundert geworden. Geboren und aufgewachsen ist er in Berlin zwischen den Weltkriegen als Sohn des georgischen Philosophen und Historikers Titus von Margwelaschwili, der nach der Okkupation Georgiens durch Sowjetrussland nach Deutschland emigriert war. 1945 wurden sein Vater und er durch den sowjetischen Geheimdienst nach Ostberlin und schließlich nach Georgien verschleppt, wo sein Vater in den Gefängnissen des NKWD ermordet wurde.

Giwi Margwelaschwili schuf in Georgien, weitgehend isoliert von seinem Geburtsland und von den internationalen kulturellen Diskursen ein einmaliges und eigenwilliges philosophisch-literarisches Werk, das eine unverwechselbar originelle Position im Feld zwischen literarischer Postmoderne und philosophischer Phänomenologie behauptet. Die Verleihung des deutsch-georgischen Literaturpreises an ihn und die folgende Benennung dieser Auszeichnung nach Margwelaschwili ehrt am Beispiel eines exemplarischen Lebens und Werks die unbeirrte Hervorbringungskraft der deutsch-georgischen Kulturbeziehungen durch alle Totalitarismen und Gewaltexzesse des letzten Jahrhunderts hindurch. Nach 1989 ging Giwi Margwelaschwili wieder nach Berlin, seit 2011 lebt er wieder in Tbilissi.

Die Stiftung eines Deutsch-Georgischen Kulturpreises ist eine gemeinsame Initiative des Regionalbüros des Deutschen Volkshochschulverbands (/dvv international/) und des Goethe-Institut Georgiens für Georgierinnen und Georgier, die sich um die kulturellen Beziehungen zu Deutschland besonders verdient gemacht haben.

Links zum Thema 

Literaturport: Eintrag Giwi Margwelaschwili 

Giwi Margwelaschwili  

dvv international: Projektbüro Georgien

VIDEO: The Georgian Filmmaker Tinatin Gurchiani - Sundance 2013 Award (youtube.com)

Tinatin Gurchiani awarded at Sundance Film Festival 2013 for a best director of documentary in international films competition for her movie - The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear

თინათინ გურჩიანი, სანდენსის ფესტივალი 2013, პრიზი საუკეთესო საერთაშორისო დოკუმენტური ფილმის რეჟისურისთვის ფილმისთვის, "მანქანა, რომელიც ყველაფერს გააქრობს"

more here: georgien.blogspot.de/Tinatin Gurchiani

DESIGN: Searching for Fashion Gold in the Caucasus (notjustalabel.com)

...when the Government stops fleecing it's populace; fashion develops

by Kendall Martin-Robbins 

(notjustalabel.com) Continuing to explore uncharted territory, NOT JUST A LABEL is devoted to discovering, promoting and exposing new countries, and designers, and the fashion talent hiding there. Destinations is an ongoing series that does just that. Following our founder Stefan Siegel's participation at last year's Be Next talent search in Batumi, Georgia, one of our contributors headed to the Black Sea, with a touring exhibition only to discover their best kept secret; a wealth of cutting edge designers.  

Georgia is a rich tapestry of myths and hidden histories both ancient and modern. One of the first Christian nations, the language is unique (as old as Latin); as is the beautiful curving script that makes navigating Tbilisi on foot both magical and bewildering (no Moscow-style Cyrillic/European street signs for the Georgians). They have been making wine for 8,000 years, and it is the land of the Golden Fleece, sought by Jason and the Argonauts. 

It was the wealth of gold in the area that inspired this tale; Georgian pioneers used fleece to sift gold dust from the rivers since ancient times. They have Europe’s tallest mountains and the world’s deepest cave, temperate rain forests and glaciers, 200 mineral springs and the Black Sea. This is all in a country only 26,911 square miles in size with a population less than the city of London. 

Mythology aside, Georgia has a rich heritage of creativity. They had their renaissance in the 11th century, and despite invasions by the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks, Persians and Russians they have fiercely protected their culture. Georgia sits on the axis between East and West, and their theatre, dance and literature reflect this: not quite European but neither wholly Asian. The Black Sea was the gateway to Europe on the Silk Road and unsurprisingly – given that position slap bang in the middle of this great route for textiles, dyes, jewellery and leather – costume has been central to Georgian identity for centuries.

Georgian fashion expatriates David Koma and Tata-Naka are well know in the UK and whilst their work doesn’t smack of obvious Georgian references there are subtle hints to their nationality. Koma’s work, sculptural with heavy embellishment, is not unlike the tapered waists, full skirts and heavy accessorising of traditional dress. His use of leatherworking in his Autumn/Winter 2010 and Spring/Summer 2012 collections echoes another age-old Georgian skill. Tata-Naka’s intricate prints parallel the detail of Persian design in the South Caucasus and their Spring/Summer 2012 collection is inspired by another Georgian passion, dancing.

Georgia’s love of dance and theatre has a huge impact on their fashion industry. The local theatre school is Tbilisi’s ‘St Martins’, students loitering outside campus smoking and exhibiting their version of street style. It is a huge honour to design for the theatre, and designers often supplement their practice by producing costumes for Georgia’s myriad and prestigious theatres. 

Designer Simon Machabeli studied costume design before starting his MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins and his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, shown at Tbilisi Fashion Week, reflected this. Models were suspended from the ceiling of the venue, walking across the wall as if traversing a vertical catwalk dressed in layers of kaleidoscopic colour with distinctive chunky silhouettes and elements of bricolage. 

I visited his studio in downtown Tbilisi to be greeted by a supra, a smorgasbord of Georgian delicacies washed down with wine. His practice is embryonic, like many young Georgian designers he sells his clothes privately or produces one-offs. There is not yet enough domestic faith in Georgian fashion; nor the textile manufacturing industry to make large runs feasible. 

New York-based Uta Bekaia is also known for his drama. Predominantly a costume designer and installation artist, he shows at Tbilisi Fashion Week under the label Uta Levan. Irakli Nasidze, a Georgian designer working out of Paris, experiments heavily with textiles and presents theatrical collections supported with props, body paint and spectacle. His play with headwear and facemasks harks back to traditional Georgian veils and headscarves. 

Copenhagen-based George Shaghashvili produces multi-functional androgynous pieces, which are as much about the polymorphic presentation as the practical uses. Young designer George Keburia is another great example of this trend; his 2010 collection featured a 3-headed PVC dress and a PVC centaur suit. 

Similarly Nino Chubinishvili’s reputation rests on her theatricality with presentations built on musical performances and theatricality. During the 90’s she was part of the Akhalgazrduli (Youth Club) group, whose experimental fashion performances formed a central building block of the nascent Georgian fashion industry following the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

However, the model was unsustainable, with systematic government corruption, civil war and lack of basics such as electricity making it impossible to produce clothes, let alone stage a fashion show. The Rose Revolution followed in 2003 and finally the South Ossetia War in 2008. Georgian designers had to wait until 2010 for a new platform to present their work. 

Georgian Fashion Week was founded with the support of the wife of the head of the Georgian Parliament, which brought access to public funds with the aim of encouraging tourism to the region. It has lasted two years and following regime changes has an uncertain future, but Tbilisi Fashion Week, started in 2011, now provides the main showcasing opportunity.

The young designers of Georgia have begun to embrace their past. Student work included Lika Kubaneishvili’s award-winning collection influenced by the shape and layout of Georgian churches, whilst Nicolas Grigorian draws on the heritage of leatherworking to produce elegant and detailed silhouettes referencing Georgian folk dress. Other young designers, such as Lasha Devdariani, Ana Movesian and Djaba Diassamidze, reveal the East and West duality of Georgian design with flowing shapes and hints of European sexuality. 

Although being a young designer in Georgia is a struggle, the Tbilisi Academy of Arts is doing its best to prepare the next generation. The fashion course was established in the 1960s when the Arts Academy was one of three in the entirety of the Soviet Union. 

At that time, the coursework was monitored by Moscow and unfortunately, the teaching style has not moved on much since those times. Students use soviet-era textbooks, and funding issues mean the textile studio uses a small portable hob to prepare their dyes. Students are not taught the business side of the operation and struggle to come up with models that will sustain their practice.

There are other post-Soviet affects on the fashion industry. Following independence, the infrastructure for industry collapsed, thus there are few factories in country where young designers can have their work produced in large quantities. There are a limited number of highly skilled seamstresses in the country and scarce training opportunities. This all affects the quality of the work constructed. 

The country is doing surprisingly well considering events of the last 20 years. The economy is recovering, partially as a result of the same minerals that drew traders and Argonauts to the region two thousand years ago. There is great optimism about the new government and the incumbent Prime Minister has a track record in cultural philanthropy. There is a vibrant fashion scene here, uniquely Georgian yet potentially with global appeal. However, for Georgian fashion to gain a higher profile some of this ‘gold’ needs to be invested in the creative industries.

David Koma

Tata-Naka 

Simon Machabeli 

George Shaghashvili 

Djaba Diassamidze 

Tbilisi Fashion Week

BLOG: "ArtGeorgia" In Paris - Project Is Initiated By Sofia Tchkonia (mercichic.blogspot.de)

(mercichic.blogspot.de) Are you in Paris on 26th of January... I recommend to visit exhibition "ArtGeorgia" In Paris, where you can meet talented designers' collections from Georgia and Ukraine. 

The project is initiated by Sofia Tchkonia - talent-scout, the author of documentary films about a fashion and the organizer of competition for young designers Be next!

AVTANDIL www.avtandil.ge
ANOUKI BICHOLLA www.anouki-bicholla.com
TAMUNA INGOROKVA www.tamunaingorokva.com
RIA KEBURIA www.riakeburia.com
DATUNA SULIKASHVILI www.datunas.com
IRINA GACHECHILADZE irina_gachechiladze@hotmail.com
ALEXANDER ARUTYUNOV alexanderarutyunov@gmail.com
KETI CHKHIKVADZE www.ketichkhikvadze.com
TATUNA NIKOLAISHVILI tatuna.nikolaishvili@gmail.com
ZM ZENKA & MARI www.zenkamari.ge
GEORGE AMIREJIBI
IKA BOBOKHIDZE atelier10a@hotmail.com
DJABA DIASAMIDZE
YASYA MINOCHKINA www.yasyaminochkina.com
TATULIE tatuli.v@gmail.com
SOPHIA GONGLIASHVILI 

BAKU: Festnahmen bei Protestaktion. Die wachsende Wut in Aserbaidschan. Von Silvia Stöber (tagesschau.de)

(tagesschau.de) In Aserbaidschan sind bei einer Demonstration zahlreiche Menschen festgenommen worden, darunter prominente Journalisten und Aktivisten. Seit zwei Wochen kommt es immer wieder zu spontanen Protestaktionen gegen Korruption, Gewalt und Selbstherrlichkeit der autoritär herrschenden Führung.

Von Silvia Stöber, tagesschau.de

In der aserbaidschanischen Hauptstadt Baku sind bei einer Protestaktion zahlreiche Demonstranten und Journalisten festgenommen worden. Unter ihnen waren der prominente Blogger Emin Milli und die international bekannte Journalistin Khadija Ismailowa. Videos des Senders "Radio Liberty" zeigen Milli und Ismailowa, wie sie von der Polizei in Busse abgeführt werden. Beide berichteten auf Facebook und Twitter, dass sie mit Dutzenden weiteren Demonstranten in Polizeistationen gebracht wurden.

Blogger Milli

Zu der Protestaktion im Zentrum Bakus am Kaspischen Meer hatten Aktivisten auf Facebook aufgerufen, ohne diese bei den Behörden der Hauptstadt anzumelden, da seit Jahren keine Demonstrationen gegen die Regierung in der Innenstadt mehr zugelassen werden. Die Polizei hatte im Vorfeld den Treffpunkt am zentralen Springbrunnenplatz abgesperrt und ging sofort gegen die Demonstranten vor, die sich daraufhin in einem Park und an der Uferpromenade versammelten.

Protestwelle auch in der Provinz

Journalistin Ismailowa

Die Demonstranten wollten ihre Solidarität zeigen mit den Menschen in der Stadt Ismayili, wo am Mittwoch ebenfalls spontan Proteste gegen den Gouverneur und einen Hotelbesitzer begonnen hatten. Der Hotelbesitzer hatte nach einem Verkehrsunfall einen Taxifahrer verprügelt. Der Gouverneur wird der Korruption beschuldigt. Aus Wut setzten die Protestierenden Autos und Gebäude in Brand. Als die Polizei einschritt, wurden mehrere Menschen verletzt und zahlreiche Personen festgenommen.

In jüngster Vergangenheit kam es in dem Land immer wieder zu Zusammenstößen. Vor einer Woche bereits hatten Hunderte Händler am Rande Bakus eine Autobahn blockiert, weil sie Stände in einem neuen Marktgebäude beziehen und dafür hohe Mietpreise zahlen mussten. Auch diese Demonstration wurde mit Tränengas und Gummigeschossen aufgelöst.

Vor zwei Wochen hatten im Zentrum Bakus Hunderte Menschen gegen die Gewalt an Rekruten in der Armee protestiert. Mehr als 70 Soldaten waren Menschenrechtlern zufolge im vergangenen Jahr außerhalb von Kampfhandlungen ums Leben gekommen. Etwa 20 junge Demonstranten, die bei der Protestaktion vor zwei Wochen festgenommen worden waren, wurden in Schnellverfahren zu Geldstrafen von umgerechnet 500 Euro verurteilt.

Parlamentssitz für eine Million Euro

Zudem sorgt seit Monaten ein Korruptionsskandal in den höchsten Kreisen der aserbaidschanischen Führung für Wut in der Bevölkerung. Im September hatte ein ehemaliger Universitätsdekan ein Video veröffentlicht, das ihn in Verhandlungen mit einer prominenten Politikerin der Regierungspartei zeigt. Dabei geht es um den Kauf eines Parlamentssitzes für bis zu eine Million Euro. Der Professor gibt vor, er habe Abgeordneter werden wollen, um den Verbleib seines verschollenen Bruders aufzuklären. Dieser hatte eine hohe Position bei den Sicherheitskräften. Eine auf dem Video ebenfalls zu sehende Frau starb kürzlich unter noch ungeklärten Umständen in Istanbul.

Im Oktober steht die Präsidentenwahl an. Beobachter gehen bislang davon aus, dass Präsident Ilham Alijew wie zwei Mal zuvor - auch durch Wahlfälschungen - gewinnen wird. Eine unbegrenzte Anzahl von Amtszeiten hatte er sich in mit einem umstrittenen Referendum im Jahr 2008 gesichert. Alijew war 2003 seinem Vater Haidar Alijew im Amt gefolgt.

Ein wichtiger Partner für EU und USA - trotz allem

Aserbaidschan zählt laut Transparency International zu den korruptesten Staaten der Welt. Aufgrund seiner geostrategischen Lage zwischen Russland und dem Iran sowie wegen Öl- und Gasvorkommen ist es aber ein wichtiger Partner für die Europäische Union und die USA.

Als Mitglied des Europarates dürfte die Ex-Sowjetrepublik eigentlich keine politischen Gefangenen haben. Der deutsche Europaratsabgeordnete Christoph Strässer setzt sich als Berichterstatter seit mehr als zwei Jahren dafür ein, dass das Thema anerkannt und Aserbaidschan zur Freilassung der politischen Gefangenen gedrängt wird. Er wurde dabei immer wieder behindert durch Lobby-Aktionen der aserbaidschanischen Regierung, in die auch Politiker aus Deutschland, Großbritannien, Spanien und anderen westeuropäischen Ländern involviert waren.

Aserbaidschan - Brückenkopf für einen Angriff auf den Iran? (04.06.2012) 
Verärgerung in Baku über deutsche Kritik (05.05.2012) 
Bloggen gegen das System (28.12.2010)

TRAVEL: Jessica Hynes: Tbilisi or bust (guardian.co.uk)

(guardian.co.uk) Jessica Hynes wanted churches, art, poetry. Her sister? Not so much. Would they get through their city break to the Georgian capital without squabbling?

By Jessica Hynes 
The Guardian, Saturday 26 January 2013

Photograph: Temo Bardzimashvili for the Guardian

The last time I travelled with my sister Zoe was a trip to Turkey 17 years ago. She beat all the men off the backgammon table, I tried to hire a moped without a licence and nearly crashed it, and my mother got so badly sunburned she had to stay in her hotel room. This trip was infinitely more sophisticated – not, as you might think, because we are old bags, but because Tbilisi is heaven on Earth. Not just because you can still smoke, or because the food you eat in every restaurant is fresh, seasonal and unlike anything you've ever eaten, or because you can drink usakhelauri, a wonderful light semi-sweet red wine (I am cradling a bottle to open on my sister's birthday). But also because, despite relentless onslaughts over centuries from unfriendly neighbours, the Georgian culture and spirit remain undimmed.

It was the Georgians I met while filming the BBC show World's Most Dangerous Roads whose enthusiasm, kindness and pride in their country inspired me to return. My sister is a fashion designer and jumped at the chance to join me. She and I travelled a lot as children, to stay with relatives in Canada and America in the summer holidays. As adults, we have both been all over the world for work, but rarely for pleasure. With five children between us and the busy, erratic schedules of self-employed mums, a weekend away from it all felt well overdue.

My intention was to push life's stresses from my sister's head by filling it with the wonders of the city (ie, waffle on at her) – something she let me do, a wry smile at the corner of her mouth.

First up was the Kashveti Church on Rustaveli Avenue. An eclectic array of framed religious paintings climb the walls, but beneath is a grey wash, all the original religious murals gone – the Communist contribution to this beautiful place. My sister and I refrained from whipping out our cameras and capturing a rather handsome portrait of Jesus because it felt disrespectful, but trust me, he really did look a bit like James Franco.

Next door was the National Gallery of Georgia. The gallery space is huge and grand, with comfortable benches for sitting and looking, which is what we did with great pleasure, this trip being a rare chance to evade childcare. We both loved Imeretia – My Mother, a stunning portrait of painter David Kakabadze's mother doing needlework. It made me feel desperately inadequate that I have not, as yet, ever crocheted a pair of socks.

Photograph: Temo Bardzimashvili

Another Georgian artist, Lado Gudiashvili, never painted ears as he felt them to be ugly, and I couldn't help thinking that he would have loved the cafe companion we met later that day – poet Kote Kubaneishvili, who has only one ear. The other was sliced off in a fight. He is famous for posting guerrilla-style poetry across Tbilisi during the dark days of the Russian occupation. The impact of his slogans is somewhat lost in translation, but he told me he once broke into the parliamentary offices and wrote inside the toilet doors something along the lines of, "You're shit."

If you are prone to craft-skills envy, don't come to Georgia: at practically every street corner handmade socks are lovingly laid out. Churchkhela is also sold in abundance – walnuts coated in grape juice, otherwise known as Georgian Snickers – and a healthier, more tasty snack I have not found.

The streets in central Tbilisi are broad and leafy – piazza-like pavements stepping up or down into grand classical buildings, while huge trees usher you into wide squares and balconied side streets. Although the dynamic modern architecture is largely disliked by discerning Tbilisians, I happen to love it and, standing on the other side of the Narikala fortress, you get the full range of styles: old Tbilisi, Communist, classical and new Tbilisi.

If all the excitement of the city gets too much for you – as it certainly did for my sister and me after a night watching Georgian dancers bounce off their knees, drinking bagrationi sparkling wine and smoking like chimneys – there are many trips you can take from Tbilisi. We visited Davit Gareja monastery, a collection of churches and chapels carved into caves on the hillside facing Azerbaijan, about a 90-minute drive away, and headed up the craggy hillside. My sister was excited when her phone read "Welcome to Azerbaijan", as were we all when a young girl walking ahead of us decided we needed some music for our ascent and started to play Pink's Try loudly on her phone. As we reached the summit, we gazed out across the lunar-like landscape to Rihanna's Diamonds.

At the second summit there was more music, as one young man began to sing a Georgian song into the warm, billowing wind. His companion held her scarf above her head in appreciation. Then he broke into a rendition of Nina Simone's Feeling Good that wasn't quite so effortless, and we shuffled away to begin our descent.

By now we were beginning to experience retail withdrawal. So, after freshening up at our sumptuous hotel, we ventured out to a flea market. My sister displayed her sophisticated taste and homemaking skills by buying antique children's books in English, a gorgeous rug and tin teapots, while I bought knives, maps and a pack of cards. I have always envied Zoe three things: her figure, her taste and her eye for a good bit of schmutter.

Our last night was spent in the Pur Pur restaurant on a crumbling Tbilisi square and with floor-to-ceiling windows and enormous lampshades. We drank usakhelauri like it was berry juice and ate fresh mackerel in pomegranate sauce. It was poignant, not just because it was the end of our holiday, but also because we learned that this old square is soon to be demolished. We were there on its very last night, serenaded by a string quartet.

On our final morning, we went to the sulphur baths, housed in ancient brick domes on the edge of Old Tbilisi. The last of our stresses were scrubbed from our skin, and we left Tbilisi renewed in mind, body and soul.

How was it for you? Zoe

Photograph: Temo Bardzimashvili

Jessica and I have always laughed, with each other, but mainly at each other. Humour is the glue that holds our family together. And as we set off, I was struck by how sad I was that we didn't do this more often.
We awoke the first morning to glorious sunshine and the prospect of the kind of idle meander for which Tbilisi is made. There were the obligatory church visits, so Jess could enlighten me with the historical nuggets of which she is so fond. I, however, was imagining how good the antique pews would look in my kitchen. We ate some of the most delicious food I've ever tasted, and smoked like teenagers between courses because we could, and because there were no minors present to wrinkle their tiny noses and tell us not to die.

Mother Georgia is a spectacular monument that looks down over the city. She symbolises the national character: in her left hand is a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends, in her right a sword for those who come as enemies. We left with plenty of usakhelauri, flea market penknives and some unforgettable memories.

• Jessica Hynes's trip was provided by Regent Holidays and British Airways. Regent offers four-night city breaks to Tbilisi from £1,055 per person, including return flights from London with BA and accommodation at the Tblisi Marriott on a bed-and-breakfast basis. For information on BA Club Europe, go to ba.com.

VIDEO: One Border Story: Final. Documentary by Rousan Safaryan and Sona Kocharyan (ditord.com)

(ditord.com) Villagers in Djiliza, Chanakhchi, Akhkyorpi and about 7 other Armenian villages have found themselves cut from relatives and vital roads following the reckless demarcation of the Armenian-Georgian border.

Students of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) Rousan Safaryan and Sona Kocharyan have talked to some of the villages and prepared this very interesting 10-minute documentary.




This story is aimed to demonstrate problems people are facing as a result of Georgian-Armenian non-demarcated border and the absence of check-point in that area. After the collapse of Soviet Union during 20 years of negotiations around 70% of border between Armenia and Georgia has been clarified, while 30% is still not demarcated, which causes problems for people living in those areas. Chanakhchi, Akhkerpi and Jiliza are among the villages on the non-demarcated border.

Chanakhchi and Akhkerpi are near the border from Georgian territory. Jiliza is the neighboring village on the Armenian side. The distance between Chanakhchi and Jiliza is 2 km.

Several years ago the border control was strengthened. As a result, now people can't cultivate part of their lands, face some trade problems and have to cross around 100 km to get from one point to another legally by check-point. Otherwise, crossing illegally leads to huge fines and even imprisonment.

BLOG: Georgia Dinner Table Diplomacy. By Paul Rimple (meetmeherelounge.wordpress.com)

(meetmeherelounge.wordpress.com) One day last year I got an email from a Georgian living in the US who asked why I hated Georgia so much. Everything she read of mine in the Moscow Times was so anti-Georgian, why did I bother living here – or something to that effect. Anti-Georgian? If I didn’t love Georgia I wouldn’t write anything about it at all, let alone live here. It is precisely because I care about this beautiful place I call home so much that I write what I do. Of course I’m critical. I’m anti-hypocrisy and  I’ll hold authorities to task wherever I live and will always call things as I see them. Nevertheless, I thought I’d start the new year by lightening up a bit. Georgia has been binging for a month straight and nobody has an appetite for politics right now. That’s why I decided to write a 400 word food and wine story. At least that was my intention…

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Conquering the World With Wine and Food (themoscowtimes.com)

13 January 2013 |

By Paul Rimple

In August 2008, I was sitting on a curb in the Georgian village of Akhalgori with journalist Wendell Steavenson watching Ossetian troops loot stores and homes. "This whole thing is crazy," she said. "All Georgia had to do was invite Russia to the dinner table. They would have conquered it with food and wine."


She, like many foreigners who have spent any time in the country, is intimately familiar with Georgia's most formidable weapon. It's not the "strategic partnership" that brings all those Washington lawmakers to Georgia. It's the food.


Georgians aren't accidental hosts. They steadfastly believe that their cuisine is the center of the universe. They live for the chance to impress guests, and that means the guests are going to get played. In 2005, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvilipicked up U.S. President George Bush from the airport, showed him a traditional Georgian dance performance and whisked him off to a nearby restaurant for an unscheduled dinner of henkhali and kabobi. The next day, Georgia became the "beacon of democracy." 


This didn't digest well with PresidentVladimir Putin, who implemented a gastronomic foreign policy strategy in 2006 that ultimately backfired. His embargo of Georgian wine forced Tbilisi to improve its product to make it competitive in the Western market. Western food aficionados are now discovering what the Russians have known all along: Georgian cuisine rocks. Elyse Pasquale of the Huffington Post calls Georgia "one of the world's most fascinating up-and-coming culinary destinations," second to Spain.


The Russia-Georgia Economic Cooperation Center recently ironed out technicalities to get Georgian wines back on Russian dinner tables, which is expected to happen soon, along with Borjomi water and other produce. Before the embargo, Russia made up about 75 percent of Georgia's wine exports. While Georgia has since managed to break into other markets, the end of the ban will further stimulate the industry and profoundly boost many private vineyards as grape demand increases.

Some winemakers in Georgia, however, see the Russian market as a threat to the many small wineries that have come along and branded traditional Georgian winemaking into a niche international market. Russia, with an underdeveloped wine culture, will create a demand for large quantities of lesser quality wine, they maintain. That might be so, but having Georgian wine and products in Russia is good for everyone, especially Georgia, which has a clear advantage in dinner-table diplomacy.

Paul Rimple is a journalist in Tbilisi.

WORLD INTERIORS AWARD: Rooms Hotel, Georgia (worldarchitecturenews.com)

(worldarchitecturenews.com) Designers Nata and Keti, born in Tbilisi, Georgia in spring, 1981, studied together at Tbilisi Academy of Arts on Interior Design faculty. After the graduation they founded the company Rooms. They live in Tbilisi, have a nice studio and work on lots of local interior and product design projects. They are proud to be the first Georgian designers, whose work was also presented at the international exhibitions and at Moooi showroom, as they decided to produce our Position lamp.

Though they are  busy with our interior projects: like hotels, restaurants shops, and private apartments, their successes on the international market motivated and challenged them to be part of an international design industry. They started to use their products in their own projects, international exhibitions helped them with good press and sales.

The first product was The Dressed Chair in 2007, which is still a topical and demanded product. As they are from the country, where they had to live in different eras: Soviet childhood and the era of changes, passion for independence and development, mix of Asian and European cultures, one can feel an influence on their design ideas. Rooms were aimed to create a interior and exterior concept for mountain hotel with 156 rooms . As “Rooms Hotel” is situated in magical Caucasian mountains, Rooms wanted to create a dream hotel. The mountainous environment and the existing structure of a former tourist center from Soviet times were considered when creating the mood of the hotels exterior and interior design created by Rooms is simple.

Looking at this former soviet Tourist Center’s building exterior structure and cladding, it is obvious that it has been designed based on the surrounding environment. If you observe the exterior from a distance, at a particular angle, you read the mountaintops as the building’s roof design. The façade is decorated with wood & metal partitions dividing the rooms and balconies while creating vertical and horizontal lines, which give the entire building a simple, geometric look. The exact same concept is perceived in the tones and the shapes of the structure.

These features both organically compliment the great outdoors and they can dare say that this building adds to the beauty of the landscape. The presence of the specific wood finish on such a green environment is breathtakingly dynamic and inviting. The effect of a mountain lodge in a mod structure is perceived with great success. The use of natural materials in the interior creates “mountain hotel” style, guests feel themselves immediately at home. The ambiance of the lobby is very contemporary, with elements of industrial design combined with comfortable leather armchairs found in a club or cigar lounge. Bookshelves divide the space and create comfortable space with the privacy encountered in a living room.

Address:1 V.Gorgasali street, Stepantsminda, Georgia. www.roomshotel.ge Client: Rooms Hotel chain Georgia. 

Photographer: Irakli Bluishvili 

Interior and Exterior: Rooms , www.rooms.ge