THE OTHER BANK

Since fleeing from the civil war in Abkhazia seven years ago, 12-year-old Tedo and his mother Keto have lived on a bleak housing estate on the outskirts of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The boy earns some cash by working in a garage, while his mother, much to his dismay, offers her services to strange men. Wanting to contribute more to his keep and take the pressure off his mother, Tedo starts stealing together with his friend Tsupak. One day, he sees his friend get caught red-handed and notices the arrival of a new man in his mother’s life. Tedo decides that it’s time to return to Abkhazia and look for his father, who was unable to flee with his wife and child due to a grave heart condition. The son hasn’t heard from him since arriving in Georgia, and is not even sure if his father is still alive. Tedo sets out on his long journey, and gets to know various people on the road. He gets a lift from two young car thieves who seem friendly enough but then threaten to rape a young girl. A family he meets on an overland bus wants to take him under its wing. No sooner have they reached the other side of the river separating Georgia from Abkhazia than disaster strikes. Tedo refuses to be discouraged. He finally manages to get back home, where surprising news awaits about his father. George Ovashvili’s THE OTHER BANK is a sensitive portrait of a homeless boy in search of roots and a better life. It also shows a crisis-scarred region without simplifying or playing down the prejudice and hatred sown in the course of a grim history.