A documentary film allows the viewer to immerse themselves in real stories, learn something new and interesting. It can promote and influence society. John Grierson, who was one of the people who had a great influence on the fate of documentary cinema, considered that rather than showing the distant exotic world of the Earth, it is better for the viewer to see what is happening right under their noses, everyday life, the working process of a man, accompanied by poetic texts. Magda Gvelesiani's film, "No Body and the Blue Sky" (2021), can be considered his follower. The film tells about a poetic journey in Guria region, the Bzhuzhi River and six villages around it.
There are twenty-six thousand rivers in Georgia. It is difficult to find a village where a river does not flow. It has a special meaning for Georgians, so it is not at all surprising that directors are interested in this topic. The river is an amazing element of nature that can amaze you with its beauty and power. It is of great importance for life on the planet – it is a source of food, energy and water resources, and also plays an important role in climatic processes, without the river our world would be much less interesting and colourful.
The film can be divided into two parts: Bzhuzhi without man and the role of man in its life. The first part depicts the water surface, which has witnessed countless adventures over the centuries, keeping thousands of secrets. Each of its waves carries with it many stories waiting to be discovered. The river is not only the beauty of nature, but also a source of inspiration, allowing you to forget about everyday problems and simply enjoy the moment. In the second part, on the one hand, a person can cause irreparable harm to the river, and on the other hand, a person is a creature capable of peaceful coexistence.
The film begins with shots of Guria shrouded in fog, which from the very first minutes immerses you in the wonderful world of nature, it is contrasting and mysterious. At the very beginning, an extraordinary poem about Guria is heard, which was the right idea to create a mood.
The film creates different landscapes of the river, and each of them is beautiful in its own way. In the morning, it reflects the rising sun, which lifts your mood and becomes a source of energy. And in the evening, the reflection of the sunset makes the story even more attractive. Bzhuzhi has its own laws, it can be a friend and helper of a person. It even resembles a person: it lives, gradually changes, never stands still and never gives up.
For each local, the Bzhuzhi holds a special place. For men, it is a source of income, for women, a guarantee of stability and peace, and for children, a means of entertainment. One of the heroes of the film tells how he came up with the idea of assigning useful functions to the river in his yard, building ponds for catching fish, and building a water mill. In the neighbouring village, they came up with another purpose and built the Bzhuzhi hydroelectric power plant.
The author correctly placed the accents between the wise use of the river and vandalism. Well-thought-out episodes present the Bzhuzhi and the villages as a whole. Each shot of the river can be paused, printed, and hung on the wall. The film clearly shows the most fascinating details of the Bzhuzhi, life around it does not stop for a second, on the contrary, it flows at full speed. No matter how many times it appears in the shot, it is never monotonous, each of its appearances is a harbinger of a new and interesting story.
The author of the film tries to show the greatness of the river and its necessity for the local population. At the same time, she does not forget to talk about the devastating consequences that can follow its flooding. The residents closest to the Bzhuzhi have to leave their homes and territories, fearing that the flooded river will take them with it, although, as one of the characters notes: they love each other so much that when it floods, it bypasses buildings and structures without the slightest loss.
Everything in nature functions well until it is artificially interfered with, which is explained quite interestingly in the film. Illegal human interventions have led to a change in the riverbed and depth, which is already a threat not only to the river, but also to man himself.
The Bzhuzhi has long shared its habitat on Earth with man. Despite their great respect for each other, it cannot be said that they know each other well, because the capabilities of both of them are inexhaustible, but Bzhuzhi managed to unite six villages of Guria around it.
The narrator (the director herself took on this task) poetically conveys her message, which makes the work especially interesting and stylistically distinguishes it from other documentaries. With each new monologue, this film moves from documentary to artistic, which was a very good move to accurately convey what was being said to the viewer.
The cameraman shows everything in detail, although there are places where this was completely unnecessary. For example, family, household or personal items are shown in detail, on which the camera lingers for quite a long time. Additionally, some may find the shot in which caught fish are seen squirming in a barrel. They are still alive, but can no longer swim. However, such is life and the footage is only a reflection of reality, which is why the author's decision to film this episode can be justified. After all, one of the purposes of the river is to provide people with food.
It is not so pleasant to watch documentary facts, meaningless statistics, numbers or years on the cinema screens, which is why the majority of viewers make a choice in favour of a feature film. "No Body and the Blue Sky" does not overload the brain with unnecessary information, but poetically introduces the viewer to the Bzhuzhi, without imposing any scientific laws. The film allows you to look at the existence of the river from a romantic angle. The author also refuses to discuss social issues. The focus is only on the river and the everyday life of the local population.
Musical notes successfully blend with the sounds of nature. Music sounds where it is needed and disappears where the noise of the river is important. Melodies are replaced by folklore performed live by Gurian women, which accurately conveys the atmosphere of the environment and intensifies the sense of reality.
Looking at the faces of the characters and observing a few moments from their daily routine, you realize how much the river and a person can become one whole. People love the Bzhuzhi as their peer, friend, and it responds with the same loyalty. When you analyze their conversations, you realize that the love they talk about is not the infantile feeling you experience after swimming or fishing in the river, it is their way of life.
Often, directors shoot a film and, not alone the audience, but they themselves have a hard time forming an opinion about what they have to say and whether they succeeded in their plan. Fortunately, this is not the case. The author has thoughtfully filmed and edited every shot, thereby reviving not only his own, but also the memories of the majority's childhood. For how many viewers will the situations described be familiar, the process of collecting nuts and cracking them in the evening with family members, bargaining over their price at gathering places, the well-groomed houses and yards that are unique to each region, a feast by the river and a swimming competition.
The author says that man is inseparable from the river, but the river cannot live without man. Each component is necessary and important. It is the duty of people to learn to coexist with it, without causing harm, because with their mutual consent it is possible to save the environment.
Such films are a reminder that we are all part of something and everything in the world has its own meaning.
Teona Vekua
