Short Films on Disability

19.11.24

Chai Khana, in partnership with MAC Georgia, presents films created through a joint competition. These films highlight inspiring stories about the lives of people with disabilities and their families. A total of 38 films were created as part of the competition; 15 were selected to be published on the Chai Khana platform. The three winning films will be announced in December 2024.


Tereza

Tereza is a young woman from Poti, Georgia, who is living with hearing loss and reduced vision. When she moves to the capital to study, she learns to live independently and adapt to her new life. The short film follows her daily struggles and triumphs as she navigates the urban environment, communicates with others, and balances work and studies. Through her perseverance and resilience, Tereza shows that independence is not about avoiding obstacles but about confronting them with determination.

Author: Gvantsa Mamatsashvili


 Stage of Mind 

On stage, 26-year-old Nika is a striking young actor surrounded by a welcoming and beautiful theatrical ensemble. Outside the theater, Nika fights against stigma. Diagnosed with a developmental disability at an early age, as a child he struggled to integrate into wider society, enduring repeated bullying, teasing, and isolation from his peers.

The shadows of his past still linger. But after he joined the inclusive theater "Azdaki's Garden," he seemed to experience a rebirth. Surrounded by good friends, loneliness now feels like a distant memory, and his focus is firmly on the future. Nika dreams of becoming a successful actor and pursuing his craft.

Authors: Bakar Cherkezishvili and Hanna Hovitie

 


The Language of Birds 

Mindia can understand birds but refuses to talk to people. His strange behavior is causing tension between his parents. They can't figure out what Mindia's future holds. Their fear speaks to them in different languages. When there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, the world itself gives the family a sign of reconciliation and a new beginning. 

Author: Salome Sagharadze


Capable
 
The film tells the story of a parallel reality where people with disabilities create a film about a character with "capable" abilities in order to win a short film competition. The movie ironically (and reversely) depicts a society that uses the problems of others to reach its own aims.
 
Author: Grigol Zhordania
 
 

 
Sadness buried along with the leg
 
A brown, artificial leg has been around me for 28 years, an inseparable part of my grandmother Izo's life since 1982. Even though Izo has lived with only one leg all that time, her tragedy is always told through anecdotes and humor; for her, there's no room for sadness or regret.
 
Through this film, I try to observe my grandmother's resilience and understand where, in this story, lies the sorrow that she left behind with her leg in Pitsunda.
 
Filmmaker: Dea Tcholokava
 
 

 
My Most Beloved Color is Sunray 
 
For the past 14 years, Matsatso has been blind. Despite this, each and every memory in her world has its own color – a mirror, a dress, the holidays, and love.
 
Filmmaker: Giorgi Parkosadze
 
 
 

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