"These morons have never seen a raven Guia A. thought, but you couldn't notice anything on his face."
Reso Cheishvili "Guia. A"
German Film and Television Academy Berlin
In co-production with
Funded by
Produced within the initiative of LEUCHTSTOFF by rbb and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
Costume Design
Production Design
1st Assistant Director
Music
Director of Photography
Co-producer
Producer
written, directed and edited by
What do we see when we look at the sky?
- Excuse me. - Excuse me.
- Here you are. - Thank you.
- Goodbye. - Bye.
- Its you again. - Sorry again.
- I went into the wrong direction. - Yes, me too.
- Goodbye again. - Goodbye.
- Almost wrong again. - Yes almost.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye.
So, what does a lightning attack and a stormy breakthrough mean.
Giorgi, this magnet, that's you.
- Hello. - Hello.
- You see, here we are again. - Indeed.
Maybe next time we don't leave it to chance?
Chances are trustworthy.
Do you know the new cafe next to the white bridge?
Yes, I do.
- Maybe we could meet there tomorrow? - We could.
- At 8? - At 8.
- See you tomorrow then. - See you tomorrow.
Both were surprised by themselves.
They were neither used to boldness nor to hasty decisions.
But the love that had emerged this morning at the school entrance
and was growing simultaneously in both of them, let all the awkwardness vanish.
On the way home Lisa had to pass the crossroad
where Paolo Iashvili street and Titsian Tabidze street meet.
At this crossroad there were living four friends
and even though it is forbidden for them to talk to humans,
they decided to help Lisa, because Lisa was in great danger,
but the four of them were particularly fond of Lisa who crossed the intersection almost every day.
The first one to speak to Lisa was the little seedling
The seedling said to Lisa,
that in this wonderful moment,
when she agreed to meet the young man,
they were observed by an evil eye.
The surveillance camera spoke to Lisa next
and told her that she was cursed by the evil eye.
The third friend was an old rain gutter.
The rain gutter said to Lisa that the curse
would change her appearance completely by the time she wakes up the next morning
The wind was supposed to tell Lisa the rest
but a car stopped between Lisa and the wind.
The voice Lisa was hearing stopped.
Lisa left the crossroad scared.
The car left too.
Maya
Lisa first told Maya that she met a young man
whom she will meet again the next day.
Then she told what happened to her at the traffic light.
She told her everything what the seedling and the rain gutter said.
What she didn't know was that the wind also had to tell her something.
The wind wanted to tell her
that Lisa wouldn't be the only one to wake up with different looks the next day,
but also the young man, she fell in love with.
and that the holder of the evil eye devised this curse, for Lisa and Giorgi
so they would never find each other again and forever be tormented because of it.
I hope you didn't get scared?
Don't be afraid,
you know,
spells are outdated.
These are my grandmother's.
I once got cursed too when I was a child
and my grandmother told me that these jet stone rings protected me.
Attention!
Dear Audience
Please close your eyes after you hear the first signal
When you hear the second signal, open your eyes again
Signal will come in
Close your eyes!
Showering before training is pointless, Giorgi thought.
I better take a shower afterwards and change at home before I go to the cafe.
He wanted to wash his face,
turned on the tap,
held his hands under the jet of water and took a look in the mirror first.
His hands full of water froze in the movement.
Neither himself nor his body knew how to react.
He felt a burning sensation in his neck,
lowered his head a little to the left,
looked back in the mirror.
He almost fainted,
but he remembered the mirror on the piano.
There's something wrong with this mirror, he thought.
He took the little mirror into the bathroom,
looked in, turned it, looked back.
Couldn't find himself in it.
He couldn't breathe,
he almost fell,
but his toothbrush saved him.
It broke in his hand.
Have you ever broken a toothbrush with one hand?
IMPOSSIBLE
Until his neck hurt so badly that he blacked out,
three words inappropriate to the situation bounced out of him:
Salt, shark, sand.
I will tell them you got sick, that you have a sore throat.
That you can't speak and so you can't call either.
I work your shift too.
What else can I do?
Maya tried to calm Lisa down.
Encouraged her to go to her date and
to tell the young man what happened.
She tried to explain to her that when the young man
is really so nice and sweet as she told it,
then he would listen to her and believe everything she says.
I forgot my tax papers.
Thanks.
Giorgi went out and looked at every object,
which could reflect his appearance
but each time with less hope, to find himself the same as before.
How can I help you?
Do you need something young man?
The Sun, do you have a cake named the Sun?
No not today.
Guys, lets get started.
Come on! Come on!
Let's start, everything is ready.
Bit faster, let's start.
Excuse me, what are you doing here?
Strangers are not allowed to be here. You must leave immediately please.
I'm sorry.
The curse had another detail
that the wind could not tell Lisa,
The curse ended like this:
Lisa and Giorgi were to lose the most important knowledge or talent they had,
Lisa of medicine and Giorgi of football.
Hey buddy, could you throw back the ball to us, please?
Thank you.
I'm sure I'm poisoned and my perception is muddled.
I sleep a little, and when I wake up, everything will be fine.
Lisa tried to study, but she wouldn't understand anything.
She realized she couldn't remember anything she learned in the university.
Maya comforted Lisa who was crying, she explained that,
it was probably because she was so worried and finally convinced her to go to her date.
Soft you;
a word or two before you go.
Go on, go on, not there.
go on, bit more, bit more,
wait there,
No, continue...
Wait there,
no, continue, go on...
Yes, let the screen right there,
It's going well with the tables,
and also the sun sets here.
Does it make a difference, where the sun sets?
Doesn't it not? It's fine.
Lisa tried to understand why Giorgi was not in the cafe
and came up with nothing, except that something had happened to him.
She ruled out that he just didn't come to the date.
Ever since yesterday, she would doubt everything but Giorgi.
The first time Giorgi drank four beers was when he became 18
and today was the second time.
Just as Lisa, he too didn't believe that she didn't show up at the date for no reason.
So, he was worried.
That's what it's like when you love, you worry.
Excuse me,
hello.
Is Lisa at home?
No, she isn't.
- I'm leaving now - Good luck
Giorgi, Giorgi...
Is Giorgi not here?
No, he is not here.
He lent us a ball sometimes.
But he's not here!
We are looking for an employee to work with the coffee and ice cream machine.
Ice cream
Chocolate 1 Lari
Vanilla 1 Lari
Double 2 Lari
Since Lisa could no longer work at the pharmacy,
she desperately needed a new job.
She decided to work at the cafe where she should have met Giorgi.
She didn't know that the curse also affected him and believed
that his non-appearance had something to do with an illness
and was convinced that as soon as he would recover, he would come here too.
There were only a few weeks left until the start of the football World Cup,
the cafe was almost ready, the white screen was in the right place,
The cafe owner only had to find a projector.
Meanwhile in Kutaisi it became evening
and then even night.
Two Khachapuris please.
Thats four Lari.
Then make it only one.
- Thank you. - Have a nice evening.
Hey buddy!
Buddy! Come here for a minute, please.
Yes you. Come here please.
I need a little help.
I need this stuff to go on the bridge.
- You know what this is? - Sure.
If you manage to hang on this for two minutes, a good meal is on me.
Wait, wait.
Now!
It has a secret.
I've opened a cafe here, but nobody is coming.
I'm gonna find a reasonable man
who doesn't cheat on me or himself, I'll put him here and it will go well.
Are you by any chance that reasonable man?
I'm always standing there anyway,
I'll earn at least some money to buy food.
It's a little embarrassing, when she comes and I have a job like this.
But the fact that she hasnt shown up for so long is also somehow embarrassing.
I've heard incredible things about one woman.
Apparently, she's the only one in town who can do anything about a curse.
You have to go to the second music school,
she teaches xylophone and piano there.
Tell them you are my friend. She will expect you.
What's her name?
Five Lari, boys. One try five Lari.
If you manage two minutes, 100 Lari will be yours.
Hello. I'd like to try.
Five Lari, please.
- Two minutes, right? - Yes
Now!
Hello brother,
we have a favor to ask.
Do you happen to have any thread or fishing line?
You'll get it back.
Hello sister,
We have a favor to ask.
Do you happen to have any thread or fishing line?
You'll get it back.
Let me see.
Time passed, Lisa and Giorgi saw each other every day
and yet they spent their days waiting for each other.
Meanwhile
the director Nino Chelidze and the cameraman Irakli Sulakvelidze were meeting
the photographer Ana Odikadze.
For five years Nino and Irakli have been working on the film named:
''Stray dogs are caressed by the wind''.
Only the end was left to be shot:
Portraits of six couples in love.
It was Ana's job to find the couples.
Nino explained to Ana what kind of portraits they needed.
Irakli wanted her to find 50 couples.
so they could then choose six suitable ones for the film.
It has to be six couples, who are interesting enough to watch.
He explained her why they wanted
to shoot the portraits on 16mm film instead of doing it digitally.
Irakli told her that he has been working with Nino for a long time, since ''Flora''.
Meanwhile, Nino was thinking.
She was thinking because she was not sure,
if this, what she was looking for, could be made visible.
Then she offered Ana and Irakli jam.
''Is this THAT jam?'' asks Irakli.
''THAT it is.'' replies Nino.
Today the football World Cup starts.
Kutaisi, like any other city, is in anticipation of some great football.
Giorgi is a fan of the Argentinian team
and welcomes the World Cup with high expectations.
- Hello, I'm Lisa, Maya's friend. - Oh good, I'll be right there.
- Hello Tengo, Keti is not with you? - Try in 24.
Keti, can you come for a second?
- Keti, she has to see Lela. - Hello, I'll be right with you.
Keti, it's you, give me a second.
Lado continue.
Lela, this is the young lady, I told you about.
I'll leave you now.
Give me two minutes.
Lado, pack up.
He is packing up and then we can get started.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye Lado.
Come in please.
Coffee or cards?
The dog Vardy, a big football fan, especially a fan of the English national team,
has been waiting for a long while for his friend dog Mertskhala.
They planned to go and watch the opening game of the World Cup together.
Vardy felt offended and went to the beer bar by himself.
Meanwhile in the cafe at the White Bridge,
they waited for the first fans. But...
You can't see a thing, who should come here to watch football?
Your ice cream is our only hope this summer after all.
Traditionally, football is watched at two places in Kutaisi.
This man here is most likely running to one of these two places.
Since the 60s football fans like to meet in the beer bar at the red bridge.
Here they watched or listened
to the away games of the home team Torpedo Kutaisi,
the World and European cups, Copa America.
Dog Mertskhala also wanted to watch the game here,
that's why he did not meet dog Vardy on the bridge,
he knew that Vardy would not join him here.
We'll find out later why not.
Although in summer there is a cool breeze from the river Rioni,
the screen is big, there is enough space for everyone and the beer is always cold.
Thank you Neli.
- How's the movie going, Nino? - Its all good, thank you Neli.
Once, when Nino was still studying at university, she saw the following picture:
At night, in a park, a man sad to tears was chewing lilac blossoms.
The second place in Kutaisi where people traditionally watch football
is behind the Lado Meskhishvili theatre.
This is where mainly the neighborhood and the employees of the theater come together.
This is an old tradition;
A long time ago Torpedo Kutaisi played an away game against Dynamo Tbilisi,
none of the TVs in the city received a picture.
Only one radio, in a prop workshop behind the theatre, had reception that evening.
The radio could also be heard on the street and little by little people from the area gathered here.
That evening Torpedo won a historic victory
and since then watching football here has become a tradition.
Now there is neither the workshop nor the people who remember this story.
But a tradition is a tradition.
Dog Vardy for example never betrays this tradition,
even though his friends prefer the red bridge, he always comes here to watch.
Argentina
End Part 1
Part 2
"Once I saw Gioconda on the market of Kutaisi, she was selling herbs"
Levan Chelidze ''A story forgotten by all''
It certainly wouldn't be bad to briefly mention
at what time the events we observe took place.
The time was brutal, merciless.
I have no doubt that this time will be perceived
as one of the most violent times by the people of the future.
In the same way we can't picture,
how people lived their daily lives,
while huge atrocities have been committed,
so people in the future will not be able to explain our indifference
to what is happening around us.
For example, how we deal with our brothers and sisters from the animal kingdom,
is unprecedented for the past.
That year, only in the forest fires,
forest fires caused by greed,
about a billion two hundred and fifty million creatures have died.
1 250 000 000
You could find endless examples,
but maybe this one is enough.
We now have a rough idea
about the time this story took place
and as is customary for the children of that time,
let us not let the above-mentioned be noticed and let's return to the narrative.
Today is the first game of the quarterfinals
and slowly the dogs set off to watch the games.
Gishera goes up the mountain
to watch the game with friends.
Marzipana goes to the bar at the red bridge.
Vardy behind the theatre, of course.
What about Kharakhura?
He doesn't know yet. He's still thinking.
At the market Lisa bought everything you need to bake a real Imeretian Khachapuri.
A recipe, which comes from her great-grandmother and which she always used.
I think the blue ones are better down below.
Giorgi, I value your opinion but I think you're wrong.
In the past, I did like the blue too, but somehow not anymore.
I could be wrong, but maybe you're wrong.
Maybe, we'll look together.
Well see.
- Hello. - Hello.
- Can we get 11 ice creams, please? - Sure.
Ice cream's not ready, yet.
It'll take an hour if you would like to wait.
We'll think about it.
We'll wait.
9, 10, 11
We dont have many customers anyway, now 11 children are here
and she has forgotten to prepare ice cream. Oh, whatever...
There's a big game today.
Should we put up this sign?
Giorgi, I have to run and it's football today.
I hate it to leave you alone but I don't see any other way.
Maybe some people will come, could you turn on the projector
and in the end off again? I'm in a real hurry, thank you.
Don't forget the chair.
- Good evening. - Good evening.
- May I sit here? - Sure.
- Would you like a drink? - A beer, please.
- You work at the pull-up bar, right? - Yes, that's true.
Thanks. I brought Khachapuri, may I eat here?
Yes, but if you wait a minute, I also have Khachapuri with me
which I baked myself, is probably better, let's share.
With pleasure.
I hope its good.
This is my great-grandmother's recipe.
I bet its good, I always get them at the bakery.
This one will probably taste better.
What was that?
Ana who wanted to rest in the park saw Lisa and Giorgi.
''That would be my 50th couple,'' she thought.
She told the two of them about the film and about what she was doing.
Lisa and Giorgi explained that they just met.
But Ana still asked for one picture, promising that they would not be selected,
but then she would be done with the job and could go home.
I really, really need it,
just one picture, it'll just take a second.
We really can't help there.
We are not really suitable,
we don't even know each other.
Neither Lisa nor Giorgi liked to refuse a favor,
so they agreed.
On that day, Argentina has defeated its rival 5-1
Lisa and Giorgi finally met, but didn't recognize each other.
You know the theater?
there's a road to the right, you take it.
Then there is a small street to the right, but you keep going.
Then the road splits,
you go right, pass the synagogue,
you keep on walking...
This is how you get to Mtsvanekvavila,
on the left side, you'll see a metal staircase,
you need to be a little careful.
Then you cross the dam
and there is the meadow you are looking for.
There are kids there who do water sports.
Almost the same sports as Zaza Nadiradze.
I know the area well, my grandmother used to live there.
and I've been there a lot as a child.
My grandmother taught me to love football.
In summer, we used to jump from the old wall into the water.
Well, the others jumped, I was always afraid.
So, at the theater to the right and you'll find the rest.
Eat three cookies in one minute. One try 5 Lari - win 50 Lari.
Imagine, the whole town covered in snow.
The snowflakes are falling slowly, slowly.
Quiet. Everybody walks slowly.
kids playing everywhere.
Back then, there were a lot less cars in Tbilisi,
rarely drove a car, very slowly, they were afraid because of the snow.
In the distance, you could hear a crow.
We always walked in the middle of the road in the snow
and everything was clean.
The lungs were filled with clean air.
I really loved being outside in the winter.
This cold. It is cold, but you're not cold.
Now there's no more winter like this.
Back then Tbilisi was a quiet city, very peaceful.
You went out in the street and instantly calmed down
and in winter anyway. It was snowing like this almost every winter.
Nino worked a lot that day and she was almost home. But...
At midnight, Nino went back to the studio.
She has been working all night and in the morning, she called Irakli and told him,
that she chose six couples so they could start shooting soon.
What's going on? Did you spend the night here?
I just came in early, and I fell asleep.
Listen, today is my wife's birthday.
I ordered a cake in Skhvitori, but I can't pick it up.
You have to help me.
- Can you drive a car? - I think so.
Then you drive and you hold the cake.
Here's the key.
- Hello. - Hello.
- I hope youll enjoy. - Thank you, we will.
If you are interested, you can try some other cakes too,
we have some nice ones today.
What kind of cake is this one?
This is with cacao from our garden and a cream of loquat.
- Interesting. - Thank you.
I'll be right out.
How are you?
- Good. how about you? How is it going there? - Oh, it's a bit nonsense, but okay.
Nino and Irakli were planning the shoot of the next couple.
Nino wanted to start very early,
but Irakli convinced her that it would be better in the afternoon.
It is not that Irakli was too lazy to get up early,
but at the place where they wanted to shoot the light is better at that time.
It took Nino quite a while to convince Lisa and Giorgi to shoot with them.
Already as a child Nino was good at convincing people
and now she was a master in this matter,
so she didn't worry when both of them refused in the beginning.
And then, when everything was almost ready to shoot
and Nino just had to choose the right background for Lisa and Giorgi,
something happened to Lado what every camera assistant is afraid of.
- Irakli, Lado has a problem. - Really? Let's see.
- What's wrong Lado? - I think I messed up the film material.
Easy, let me see.
We don't have a role here anymore, do we?
- It's at the studio. - You have to get some.
Nino the film material was accidentally exposed, we have to wait a little.
Get ready please,
look at me,
up a little bit,
now into the camera.
Attention and please.
Sometimes people do what they want the least.
Today is the final, Argentina is playing.
More than anything else, Giorgi wants to watch the game.
But he asks Lisa if he could walk her home and is surprised by himself.
Lisa agrees.
You can stay if you want to watch the game.
No, no, let's go.
There were only a few seconds left until the end of the game.
Argentina led 3-1 and no one doubted the victory anymore.
The referee looked at the clock and announced that Argentina is world champion.
Millions of fans worldwide and of course in Kutaisi cheer,
because everything happened the way it had to happen.
Giorgi wants to cheer too, but shows no sign of it.
Irakli somehow felt that Nino didn't like the location
and was not surprised that Nino decided to shoot this couple somewhere else.
- Have you ever been up the mountain Khvamli? - No, have you?
Neither have we, but we plan to.
- You know what was discovered there? - What?
There's Khvamli.
I must confess I often think about what to tell my children,
when they ask me about the reason for such brutality and such powerlessness.
When they ask me what I was doing when all this happened.
I think about it, because I know they will ask and I have no answers.
What should I say? That I have made films?
To see what's on the shot material, it has to be developed in a lab.
It's Lado's job to bring the material to the laboratory.
It was Nino's wish to watch the material together with the couples.
Irakli was against it, but then gave in.
Inviting the couples to the screening had become Ana's job.
In the evening at the arranged time, everyone gathered at the cinema.
Only Irakli was late.
Sorry I'm late.
- Shall we start Irakli? - Yes please.
One couple followed the other,
Nino was thinking, Irakli was happy, Ana was nervous.
Less than Ana, but also Lado was nervous.
Lisa and Giorgi already sensed something.
Their image was the last of all and they had to wait five minutes.
Then happened, what had to happen.
Lisa and Giorgi immediately understood everything.
After the screening, they thanked the surprised film team a lot
telling that nothing would have worked without them.
As you can see, Lisa and Giorgi have found each other.
Here we lose their trace, it mixes up with the countless, no less exciting adventures
that happen every day around us.
See, what kind of story took place in our city.
Only now, after much reflection can we see
that there is a great deal which seems doubtful about it.
Not to speak about the fact that such transformation of two people is really strange.
How could Lisa believe that she would get rid of the curse with cards and coffee?
How could Lisa and Giorgi forget everything?
Or how did neither Lisa nor Giorgi not get to...
Or they could have at least...
I just don't get it!
But the strangest, most incredible thing of all is how authors can choose such subjects.
That, I confess, is beyond my comprehension.
Firstly, it’s no use to the society whatsoever;
secondly, it’s no use...again.
But still, despite all of this,
although you can admit this and that and a third point as well and maybe even...
By the way, is there any place where inappropriate things do not happen?
And yet, if you think carefully about it, there really is something in the matter.
Whatever one may say,
such things do happen, rarely - but they do.
The end