"A good Svan story" - this is how the title of Mariam Khatchvani's feature film, shot in 2017, is translated from Svan into Georgian. The audience knows this movie by the title – "Dede" (authors of the script - Mariam Khatchvani, Vladimer Kacharava). Its main character is a woman – Dina (Natia Vibliani). The director of the film says in one of the interviews that the narration here is based on real facts, and a similar story of Dina, as well as that of many Svan women, also happened to her great-grandmother, although it was not artistically depicted in the works of other artists.
When there is a discussion on the artistic depiction of reality, it should be noted that in any field of art, the author talks to us about his modernity, turns into an artistic form what surrounds him and it does not matter what period or country the plot of the work depicts. It does not matter whether the topic or problem conveyed by this plot is relevant at a given moment and in a given society or not. This is well seen in the example of motion pictures. Sometimes the film itself makes this or that topic relevant. In addition, we often find the elaboration of current topics in the society for a specific period in the film. It either covers the entire film or is included as a topic in it and sometimes it is so forced and unnecessary that some doubts arise, why the authors needed to bring this topic into the film.
Today there are several such urgent topics and one of them is discrimination against women. The problem is ancient, but, for various reasons, this time, it is relevant. Georgian cinema revolves around this topic from the very first steps (thanks to Georgian literature). The first Georgian feature film, “Qristine,” which was based on the story of the same name by Egnate Ninoshvili, is a proof of this, and there are many similar feature films made in the subsequent period.
In 1930, Mikheil Kalatozishvili shot a documentary film "Salt for Svanetia" in the village of Ushguli in Svaneti (Northwest Georgia). It describes a custom that was followed in Ushguli at that time – if a woman went into labor during someone's funeral, she was considered impure and expelled from the village so that neither she nor her relatives were interested in their fate. I have been looking for years for someone who has heard about the reality of this custom but I have not been able to find them. The film gives the impression (despite the fact that it is really genius) that there might have been such tradition, but it is exaggerated in the film and included as a blindfold of the Soviet censors to cover other topics and show in what trouble Ushguli was before the establishment of the Soviet government, how it was necessary to construct the road there, which the then government was able to bring, along with salt (which was so necessary for Ushgul), civilization, a new way of life and equality between people, which also meant protecting women's rights.
More than eight decades after the release of this film, Mariam Khatchvani shoots at first the short film "Dinola" in Ushguli and then the full-length film "Dede." From "Salt for Svanetia" to "Dede" many things have changed in Ushguli's life but the problem of discrimination against women remains a painful topic in the patriarchal society.
"Dinola" shows the tradition according to which the family of a widowed young woman must marry her the first suitor but leave her children in the family. Mariam Khatchvani looks at this problem through the child’s eyes, who first lost his father and now has to separate from his mother. On the other hand, a woman left without a husband is forced to leave her children and move to her new husband's family.
"Dede" shows this tradition through the woman’s eyes but this topic enters the film in the second half. In the first half, the topic of engaging and marrying a woman without love is shown. The first topic ends with the marriage of the female protagonist, Dina to her beloved, and the second topic begins with Dina's widowhood in the second half of the film.
Thus, there are actually two stories in the script that would make two films: one about Dina's marriage and the other about her widowhood and remarriage. Moreover, there is also material for the third film here: the story of the kidnapping of Dina’s sister-in-law, a school teacher, who cannot return to her father's family because she is afraid of becoming the reason for a life-and-death conflict between two families, and remains with her husband as a hostage. It's as if the authors wanted to put everything into this one film and thereby overloaded the dramatic narrative. However, they could have left more time for the cinematic narration of the film.
The film starts and it is seen that the men have done their "manly" work: they fought, they worked hard, they crossed a difficult road, they survived, they saved each other and they are returning home. Now delighted and happy women should receive them and enjoy. Among the returnees is Davit, who is accompanied by a representative of his own region, a new friend, Gegi. Gegi saved Davit from death during the battle. Davit has an engaged woman in the village and he has to arrange the wedding, but Gegi has met an unknown woman on the way, who he fell in love with at first sight and hopes to find her again. "If I find her but she doesn't like me anymore, won't love me?" – doubt niggles at Gegi. "Does it matter? You love her?! We will go and kidnap her!" Davit encourages, but Gegi doesn't want his wife not to love him. In the film, the knot is tied where the audience finds out that the friends are talking about one and the same woman, Dina.
Here the characters of the film face a choice. At stake there is: love, friendship, dignity, tradition, personal happiness... What will these heroes give priority to? At a glance, the mentioned issue should be decided by men, but the female protagonist does not give up and starts to act. Her perseverance will bear fruit – she will stay with her beloved, Gegi (Giorgi Babluani), although this will cost her fiancé, Davit’s life (he will kill himself). Not only the village, but also Dina's grandfather does not agree with this choice of his grand-daughter and will excommunicate her.
In the second part of the film, Davit's brother takes revenge and kills Dina's husband, Gegi. Now Dina faces a new obstacle – she has to leave her young son and move into the family with another man, Girshel, who proposed her to marry him. We know this character from the beginning of the film and we learn that he has been in love with Dina since childhood.
Every tradition has its basis. First of all, it takes into account the interests of the society, and only then – of each individual. At such times, a custom can be cruel and even merciless towards people. In Svaneti, where conditions were harsh, men often died at a young age. Their young widows were yet to bear children and increase the nation. There was no place and time left for feelings, because it was a woman's mission and duty, and the children had to be left with their father's family to continue the family name. A tradition which, given the conditions, can be understood on some level, but not accepted, it has become obsolete over time, but the village does not see that it is completely useless, cruel and destructive for both the child and the woman. "Women are to blame for everything" – men say when they don't know how to justify themselves and they also say "this is the tradition and you can't change it." The film features a priest who does not like women’s forced marriage separation from their children and wants to change this tradition, but cannot influence anyone's opinion.
The beautiful scenery of Svaneti suits the film wonderfully (cameraman – Konstantine Esadze). At this time, the viewer is given the opportunity to take a break and think, to feel the emotion more. The film has a great merit: it is surprisingly sincere. It feels that the authors are eager to tell us and share with us everything that is being talked about, everything that disturbs and hurts and which is missing in the films made by many skilled directors.
Ketevan Pataraia
