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From:
Oliver Ressler <oliver@ressler.at>
Date: Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 5:22 AM
Subject: [Newsletter] New film: The Plundering
To:
newsletter@ressler.at
The Plundering
A film by Oliver Ressler
40 min, 2013
Exhibitions/Screenings:
“Liquid Assets. In the Aftermaths of the Transformation of
Capital”, Steirischer
Herbst, Graz (A), 21.09. – 01.12.2013
“Agora”, 4th Athens
Biennale, Athens (GR), 29.09. – 01.12.2013
Art Sheffield 2013,
Sheffield (UK), 03.10. – 14.12.2013
“Skills of Economy Screenings”, Finnish
Academy of Fine Arts, Kaiku Gallery, Helsinki (FI),
04.10.2013
“We can talk about the ‘plundering’ of Georgia. Public property,
which in fact should serve the common needs of society, has
become the property of individuals. For example, if that project
became successful, the citizens now using this park would not be
able to use it.” – Mikheil Svanidze, The Plundering
Extreme levels of privatization can only be carried out under
conditions where people are under severe pressure, as in the
transformation of former Soviet republics towards independence and
capitalism. Since the Rose Revolution in 2003, the former
Soviet republic Georgia under went such a radical transformation.
President Mikheil Saakashvili implemented one of the most extreme
neoliberal projects in the world. Today, Georgia is 9th of 185
states in the World Bank ranking “Ease of Doing Business”. While
the “common good accumulated within the communist regime during 70
years of its existence” (Rusudan Mirzikashvili, The Plundering)
is being sold off, the unstable situation in a radical,
free-market economy and the liquidation of most social safety nets
drove most Georgian residents into un-experienced levels of
poverty.
The film The Plundering focuses on four cases of
aggressive, state-property privatization policies in Tbilisi.
Through interviews, it discusses the privatization of the water
system in Tbilisi and of Tbilisi’s popular market, the Dezerter
Bazaar. A newly emerging movement prevented the attempted
sell-off of the National Scientific Library, and the destruction
and conversion of the historical Gudiashvili Square in Tbilisi’s
city center into a shopping mall.
“Objects of strategic importance were sold to the benefit of some
people close to the government”, Levan Asabashvili describes these
processes of systemic corruption in the film. Usually the
purchasers are hiding behind companies registered offshore.
Director and producer: Oliver Ressler
Camera: Niko Tarielashvili
Sound recording and film editing: Oliver Ressler
Sound design, mix and color correction: Rudolf Gottsberger
Music: Erekle Deisadze & Vinda Folio: Agurit Khelshi
Interviewees: Levan Asabashvili, Ani Chankotadze, Giorgi
Chubinidze, Alexandre Elisashvili, Nino Gujaraidze, Lasha
Kharazi, Zurab Kukuladze, Rusudan Mirzikashvili, Mikheil
Svanidze
Translation: Soso Chauchidze
Organization and production assistance: Data Chigholashvili,
Soso Chauchidze, Nini Palavandishvili, Ana Ramazashvili,
Katharina Tchelidze
Special thanks to Nini Palavandishvili, Data Chigholashvili,
Katerina Gregos, Luigi Fassi
The film was recorded in May 2013 in Tbilisi, Georgia in the
framework of the GeoAIR Residency
Program, commissioned by steirischer herbst festival, Graz
and Art Sheffield 2013, supported by Otto Mauer Fonds and BMUKK.
Further information and film excerpt:
http://www.ressler.at/the_plundering/
German project description:
http://www.ressler.at/de/the_plundering/
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