In Georgian (and probably in any) society, public either lives according to traditionally established stereotypes, or asks others to live like that or – asks both together – themselves and others too. And the "violators" of the "universal" order either deserve to be scolded and reproached, or they are misunderstood and become objects of active (pseudo-liberal) teaching. Such methods of upbringing seem to have a non-severe, non-aggressive and non-destructive form. You are characterized by an approach from the position and heights of a more benevolent, favorably disposed "educator," although they can cause great harm.
The "educating" society begins to act even when someone makes a non-standard, "non-normative" choice and decides to change the monotonous, sluggish and usual flow of life. The conflict with the person also starts on this ground.
This is the main problem in the film "My Happy Family" (2017) by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß. The mentioned film is the winner of many international film festivals for its script and direction, as well as prizes were awarded to actors, Ia Shugliashvili and Merab Ninidze for the best roles, and it still maintains the "title and dignity" of one of the best Georgian films.
Unlike the previous film by the same directors, "My Happy Family" is clear and reliable. It is an unadorned "chronicle" of a life full of contradictions, pain and sadness, and at the same time full of life, colorful. The environment is no longer as gloomy as it was years ago. There the action takes place in the 1990s, here in the late 2000s, and both people and their problems have changed.
The events unfold around an unremarkable, typical Georgian family, whose member – the mother of two adult children, Manana Mkheidze (Ia Shugliashvili) decides to leave her family and move alone to a rented apartment. From the noisy city center to the outskirts. She takes refuge under someone else's roof from her own roof.
It seems that there are two pictures of "life" here – a traditionally "furnished" apartment of a middle-class family, full of everyday things and a daily disorder and half-empty (where no one lives permanently) rented apartment, as if empty of people (traces of their existence) (with a peaceful view of trees “intruding into the house" from the window). Such suburbs are like micro-cities, with a peculiar confinement of space. with all the components that generally make up the images of modern faceless and homogeneous settlements. This natural situation and patterned system of micro-districts in the film, together with showing reality, acquires an artistic load.
This is a "simple" story, shown with humor and fun. With small details, seemingly meaningless or multi-meaningful. Atmosphere, mood is created with a calm look, imperceptible transparent strokes. The appearance, characteristics, features of each family member, the family as a whole and the entire society. As if there is a "moment of presence" all the time, as if the audience is also a participant and as if the circumstance "forces" them to be "actively" involved in the processes.
The non-triviality of Manana's decision is that she leaves home not for "moralists’" scolding but understanding “traditional” reason (not because of a new object of interest, or family violence or conflict, or her husband's infidelity, or due to "character incompatibility") but only because she wants to get away from the daily hustle and bustle, boring monotony, and find comfort. Being alone with herself. Solitude.
Manana leaves the family she created. And is released from it. She wins, first of all, over herself, over her own timidity, weaknesses, and destroys the invisible but solid walls that have become barriers with one stroke of her hand, with a sudden decision. She breaks the order and her family order is also broken.
People and situations similar to the heroes of "My Happy Family," everyday life and a series of problems are nothing special. The cycle of monotonous days is characteristic of almost every family.
Manana is like all or many women her age, but she still stands out. At the same time, it is similar and not similar to contemporaries and other characters of the new Georgian cinema. It shows exactly what modern "family" women are like, what they may be experiencing, what they may be worried about, who seem to lack nothing – they have a husband (Merab Ninidze) (nice, neither idle nor violent), and children (daughter-in-law – Tsisia Kumsishvili, Giorgi Tabidze), brother-in-law (Giorgi Khurtsilava), parents (in old age, but healthy, viable – Berta Khapava, Goven Cheishvili), she has a caring and loving brother (Dimitri Oragvelidze) and brother's family. They have an apartment, a job, friends, and relatives (compassionate people, those who share their sorrows and those who stand beside them, sincerely thoughtful).
It's windy outside, both in the streets and outside the balcony of Manana's rented apartment. Sometimes it rains. Life and the order of nature go on as usual. It is this monotony and uniformity that the directors have shown in precise and specific ways, and the atmosphere of the film is identical to it.
The shots of streets and parks, traffic and people moving on the street, interiors of residential apartments, classrooms or school corridors, cottages create a characteristic environment. They describe people who live here, study, interact, come, go, meet or break up with each other, have close relationships or just "accidentally" move to this city.
The presence of any character/person in this closed and somewhere, broken circle at one point – the icon of the existence of different categories of society, personal or collective – is a reflection of their confinement, adaptation, freedom, will, desires, of people who have created, want to create, can create their own model of life or they can't.
One is the already existing reality, already formed, established, approved by the norms, and the other is the reality that can exist if you leave the first one and open the door of the house to go somewhere else. Even just to sit in the corner of the balcony and experience peace, coziness and happiness with just a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.
Cinema is always more and different from what happens and how it happens in life. Because "the whole life" is gathered in two hours – screen time – in a compact and pressed way and transformed into its generalized, artistic image. How ordinary life turns into a movie is the main and important thing. How the screen print of reality appears, how the author tells and shows the "life" story. "Real life begins when it's complicated!"
The peculiarity and main feature of the film by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß, at a glance, is that "My Happy Family" is not a film about a family. It's not about love either. Not even about hate. Nor indifference. It is about freedom and the irresistible passion and power of freedom that exists and is nowhere to be found. However, maybe it's all together. On happiness and love. Lovelessness and loneliness.
And in quest of happiness, as in one famous fairy tale, it may not be necessary to go elsewhere. And it is also a fact that all families seem to be neither equally unhappy nor equally happy.
Lela Ochiauri
