A new documentary, 'Limitation', pieces together archival footage to depict the bloody coup d'état that gripped Georgia in the early 1990s. Directed by Elene Asatiani and Soso Dumbadze, the film uses only found audiovisual material available online, with no voiceover, interviews, or digital manipulation. Instead, the directors label each clip with its source, such as 'Pro-Government Camera' or 'KGB Camera', highlighting the inherent bias in historical records.
The footage chronicles the swift descent from the jubilation of Zviad Gamsakhurdia's presidential inauguration into a spiral of violence. For 16 days, opposition paramilitary forces laid siege to the parliament building, culminating in a coup that left the country blood-soaked. The sounds of indiscriminate gunfire and tanks rolling through civilian areas are captured from both sides of the conflict.
One particularly harrowing sequence shows a woman cowering by her window, her face distorted by fear. The lo-fi aesthetics, with pixelated sequences and watermarked TV logos, underscore the film's radical critique of the notion of objective imagery. As the directors argue, all recorded footage carries hidden agendas.
Amidst the conflicting political narratives, 'Limitation' centres on the collective trauma endured by ordinary Georgians, forever scarred by the bloodshed. The film invites viewers to piece together their own interpretation from the fragments of history presented.
