TAMING THE GARDEN

Switzerland, Germany, Georgia | 2021 | 92 min | col.

The former prime minister of Georgia has a peculiar hobby: he is a collector of centuries-old trees (some of them are as tall as buildings) uprooted from the coast. At enormous economic expense and great inconvenience to the ecosystem, these majestic giants of nature are ripped from their lands to be transplanted into the politician's private garden. Adopting a highly effective cinematic style, the film follows the surreal uprooting of ancient trees from their native sites and their transfer on board a barge across the Black Sea to the private property of the politician, all intent on composing his own personal Eden. Every removal triggers tensions between labourers and village inhabitants, between those who chase the rainbow of possible financial incentives and those who angrily cry the loss of an important piece of collective memory. Can the ephemeral wealth of an individual tame the eternal beauty of the garden? (a.s.)

Film also available on the MYmovies ONE platform for 72h.