A harrowing new documentary, Limitation The film's genius lies in its refusal to look away. It plunges viewers directly into the heart of the storm, where the battle for control of the newly independent republic from the crumbling Soviet Union turned the streets into a warzone. The camera becomes a terrified citizen, ducking for cover amidst the rattle of gunfire and the ominous rumble of tanks rolling through Tbilisi. Limitation meticulously charts the violent overthrow of the country's first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The archive material, much of it rarely seen, is utterly compelling. We see the fervent nationalism, the political rallies that curdle into mob violence, and the terrifying moment when political disagreement escalates into all-out urban warfare. The film doesn't just show the conflict; it makes you feel its terrifying chaos. The grainy, often unstable footage captures the raw human emotion—the fear, the defiance, the desperation—of a population caught between the entrenched old guard and the ruthless ambition of a military council. While serving as a crucial historical document, Limitation transcends its subject matter to become a timeless study of power, ambition, and the fragility of democracy. It poses unsettling questions about how easily civilised society can unravel and the devastating human cost when political discourse is replaced with bullets and bombs. The review hails the director's masterful editing, which weaves together disparate sources into a coherent and relentlessly tense narrative. There is no need for hyperbolic voiceover or manipulative music; the power of the images and the sounds of real conflict are more than enough to hold the audience in a vice-like grip. This is not an easy watch, but it is an essential one. Limitation stands as a stark, unforgettable memorial to a pivotal moment in Georgia's history and a sobering reminder of the bloodshed that so often accompanies the birth of a nation.A Nation Torn Apart
More Than Just a History Lesson
