THE BRIDGE
Playwright: Zurab Khvtisiashvili
Director: Giorgi Sultanashvili
Set Designer: Anka Kalatozishvili
Composer: Davit Tavadze
Cast: Nikoloz Faikr idze, Tako Chanukvadze, Nikoloz Chkadua, Anano Togoshvili
About the Performance
The Department for the Study of Conflict Zones in the South Caucasus brings together a focus group to examine the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. The head of the department, Levan, and his deputy, Maria, invite two young people to participate in the meeting: Nino, a Georgian, and Arslan, an Abkhaz.
At first, the research appears to follow a conventional procedure. The two young people are expected to talk about the war, the past, family memory, and their attitudes toward one another. However, as the conversation unfolds, something unexpected emerges: there is no conflict between Nino and Arslan. They do not perceive each other as enemies, and the war is not part of their personal experience; instead, it exists for them as the painful memory of a previous generation.
This discovery becomes a problem for Levan. If there are no longer any signs of confrontation among the younger generation, the very need for the department may be called into question. Levan tries to find something—anything—in the young people's answers that he can use to justify his work. He attempts to stir resentment, anger, and mistrust between them, searching for evidence that would confirm the continuation of the conflict and the necessity of his department. But his efforts prove unsuccessful.
The conversation gradually moves beyond the boundaries of the official research and turns toward personal stories. It becomes clear that the traces of war remain deeply embedded in the memories of both families. Yet this pain does not set the young people against one another. On the contrary, they discover similarities in each other's stories and begin to recognize their own pain in the other's experience.
In the process, Levan is also forced to confront his own past. He realizes that all these years he has been trying to study the conflict, document its boundaries and consequences, while overlooking something far more important: the war did not destroy only land, homes, and lives—it also severed the connection between generations.
Running time: 60 minutes