IARE, LIZA

Television journalist Liza is reflecting on the brutal war between Abkhazia and Georgia, provoked by the Russian Federation, on a TV program when the live broadcast is interrupted by a phone call. A Russian-speaking man confronts her with the quote: “Protect my granddaughter, my son.” Liza loses her temper, breaks off the broadcast and spontaneously sets off for Abkhazia. It is slowly being revealed how her personal fate is intertwined with the war, what losses she suffered and how she was rescued from a life-threatening situation. In the midst of still hardened fronts, she tries to see things differently, avoids clear accusations despite her own involvement and points out that crimes occurred on both sides and victims were to be mourned. Using authentic records and diary notes from Georgians and Abkhazians, the film presents the perspective of civilians and soldiers on both sides. The combination of archive material, re-enactment and animation sequences mixes the documentary style and fiction – a courageous film that recalls the cruelty and unconditional nature of this first war after the collapse of the Soviet Union and how necessary it is to seek understanding – even if one may only begin 30 years after the incidents.

Text: Kira Taszman