GORI

Considered unsuitable for military service, Bachana wanders aimlessly and eventually, when his bus home breaks down, ends up on a plot of land which belongs to two petty criminals. The pair, in turn, demand one hundred Euros from the youngster's family before they let him free. In the meantime, the twenty-year-old is chained up and tormented in the dilapidated house. One of the kidnappers is willing to give him water, the other refuses. At times he's given bread, only for his guardians to once again resort to violence. In the discussions that intersperse the verbal abuse it nevertheless turns out that hostage and takers share the same insecurity vis-à-vis their future prospects. An unpredictable situation, that is until the pair's grandmother announces her intention to pay them a visit and the house has to be cleaned up.

In PIG Georgian author and director Giga Liklikadze touches upon what is, for many Georgians, a harsh reality: unable to profit either from tourism or agriculture, they are left to fend for themselves. Captured meticulously, the film calmly reflects on Bachana's endurance and his empty gaze. Ultimately there is no end in sight, with the protagonist's ultimate release not putting an end to his odyssey. NaF