Georgia of 1980s and 1990s gave birth to many interesting and, at the same time, such fates in the generation of "underground" musicians and artists, which caused a fearful thought even when looking towards the future. The main character of Keko Chelidze's film "Dead Souls’ Vacation" (2020), musician Levan Svanidze is one of those who found illusory peace in time and emptiness.
The interest in the 45-year-old musician, who is actually unemployed, living with his mother in extreme poverty and trying to establish his talent in any direction, is itself the basis of the drama. Levan's mother – Lamara Svanidze is the other, no less interesting character of this film, whose sequential chronicle, too, often reminds us of the most intense artistic story, if not the slightly television reportage-like aesthetic of the film narrative, which is mainly episodically manifested in intensified accents: showing interiors, existential details in an often forgotten time, which is sometimes endlessly long in order to in order to overcome this feeling of discomfort.
It is always a creative process to turn social problems and people with not only social but interesting, quite dramatic fates into the heroes of a documentary film, but still, even here, with great prudence and reserve, a respectful attitude towards the lives of others is much more expressive than even revealed completely insignificant but important details of being with the permission of the heroes of the film. It is for this reason that the chronicle of being, which has been one of the preferred narrative methods of television and documentary cinema for several decades, at least at some stage of the sequential narrative requires careful, adequate forms, a novelty that will not be revealed in detailing the characters’ daily life until the end. It is possible that this is only wishful thinking but the cautious, loving and not always cloudless and selfish attitude of the two main characters is in itself both a motive and a drama at the same time. Levan Svanidze and Lamara Svanidze’s dwelling is a typical example of a rough urban settlement. The clothes, furniture and equipment gathered in one room in a disorderly manner "live" for themselves, while the characters are sad, jealous, happy and suffer for themselves.
In general, feeling is not a part of these characters’ existence, but a component of life, which draws us and even scares us from time to time. However, the relationship between Levan and Lamara, which is devoid of any unnecessary pathos, can really be a reason to touch a naive heart. Here, no one looks for the reasons for the lack of money, no one asks awkward questions, and on the one hand, this is completely understandable, but the director's attitude towards these characters’ “self” is a little too easy to see, where everything is already clear and filled with sadness.
The characters of this film might be the least suited to the word "compassion." I don't know how others feel but in these people's problems, in their endless feelings, there is still what is called the main thing – dignity.
To say the least, the topic of an unsuccessful musician lost in the havoc of time, who was indeed, one of the popular figures of the "underground" and modern time music two decades ago, is familiar and slightly trivial. Nevertheless, seeing any familiar topic in a different way is exactly what makes an artistic opinion, a position, a valuable event. In "Dead Souls’ Vacation," unfortunately, what is different and new is exactly what causes an irresistible sadness and feeling in the audience to this day: this is the fear of the future. But not loneliness. Left alone, Levan becomes tragic only when his mother gets ill and feels a serious threat. Until then, despite their constant grumbling and dissatisfaction, these two characters are together, share the same sorrows and are constantly attached to each other for good and bad. How understandable or incomprehensible all this is, is another matter. It is not so difficult to guess that the tragedy (which, by the way, explains everything in just two phrases) has inextricably connected these two people to each other's existence and life.
Discontinuous phrases, Levan's naive hopes and sometimes endless calls to different people make the same feeling less intense at some point. This is what is meant by the thematic reportage influence of television in documentary cinema. Dramatic facts and events are already present, their intensification cannot always be perceived easily and organically by film documentary. It's the same in the film: Levan's feeling does not require long-term fixation of situations. His portraits are not always monotonous, nor are Lamara's pensive feelings always fresh. This monotony is heavy and presented for a long time, however, the authors of the film might have created the general mood with such matches.
Levan in the street, Levan in the studio, Levan at home, at dinner, Levan in the finale of the film, a long shot, with a desperate and hopeless intonation of Lamara's recovery outside the shot – basically, these are not several situations of the hero of the film but several images of his several feelings. These are two different concepts and both are difficult to demonstrate. Thus, Levan in the studio and at home, as well as Levan talking about his mother, are two different people: hopeful and desperate, a young man who has only just realized that he may not find support if Lamara is not in his life. This incredible infantilism might have been born as a result of such a relationship and attachment: "I'm sorry, let me stand up, create a group..."... he says to himself in the finale of the film, with a grieving, sad intonation, as if with a pang of conscience and with the feeling that he himself will be left alone and "what should he do"...
Infantilism is an ageless phenomenon. It is not only a situation, but a living prompter of our actions, that's why Levan, a person in the captivity of his own infantilism, doesn't even realize that he mentally blames himself, and in this portrait, at this very moment, the tragedy of a desperate, possibly a little foolish, big child is established. It can be seen and felt in a short phrase and a slender staggering body.
"Dead Souls' Vacation" – the title of the film and the paraphrase of the musical band name has a new and, at the same time, uncomfortable stormy association. It creates something that is both interesting and less pleasant. At some point, the existence of the film heroes has been given over to a difficult river of oblivion, although there is nothing to stir this sadness until life itself does a miracle. And yet, no matter how much it might rain, Levan Svanidze’s exhausted silhouette, an infantile figure full of human despair, as the new hero of documentary cinema cannot be hopeless...
Ketevan Trapaidze
