Anna D.

I just finished watching this short film with very mixed feelings. I enjoyed the way it offers a very intimate glimpse into an otherwise isolated community, which seems different and somewhat unimaginable to many - using potatoes instead of money. So from that perspective, I like the raw sensations which come with watching it. However, I did feel like there was this note of cruelty throughout which I'm not sure if it was intentional - the old man talking about his dreams of education; and the lady who was evidently upset the merchant from Tbilisi wouldn't sell her a simple grater for 1 lari. Speaking of the merchant, I just couldn't understand his story to begin with and why he was selling stuff from Tbilisi to this rural community (and why he wouldn't give a discount to someone in need!). I give it 2* mainly because for me it lacks depth; and there was some more background story needed. None of my questions were answered while watching Sovdagari - e.g. where is this place, what happened to have caused this extreme poverty, why potatoes, why is the main character the merchant from Tbilisi who is an outsider, what are the stories of the people we saw...