Caucasus, Georgia / by KARIN-BAM STOWE

Travelling through the ancient lands of Georgia in the Caucasus I came across an unusual story, a freedom party against the government called Girchi, had started their own religion to help young men avoid conscription into the Georgian army.  In the Army they were treated like slaves and not trained properly. I met amazing young Georgians who wanted to be independent and start their own businesses, like sex toy shops and garden centres.  Whilst documenting their stories, a huge protest broke out about Russia, who have invade and taken Georgian lands in the past. The conscripts had been armed and fired upon their own people. All hell broke loose. To see trailer for film go to HERE.   

The film has won SIMA (Social Media Impact Awards) 2023 Jury award; to see short version of film go to: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/758116721 to See SIMA awards go to:https://simaawards.org/2023-winners/

This is Georgie, a young business man, trying to start the first ever sex toy shop online in the country. He has avoided conscription by becoming a Girchi priest. He dreams of a Georgia where even priest can order a dildo from him (which they do), he wants a country where anyone can choose to be whatever they want to be. Hope spring eternal.

At the protest the people wanted their government to not court the Russians, an odd harmony between protesters, police and army occurred, even though they were being shot at, the protesters still helped the ones firing at them. They only saw Russia as the common enemy.

The presence of the press was outnumbered by citizen journalism and the event was up and off into the social media sphere before I could edit and upload a picture, the days of the photojournalist from afar are numbered, and rightly so.

Within any event, one look, expression or gesture can summaries the story of any occurrence, this the decisive moment I saw, not classically formatted but it contains the essence of great narrative. I know him, you have known him, you can relate to him, we are either him or the man-without.