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A Ruby Day Is Over Contemporary Georgia and its society, a portrait of people lost in time and space, dull reality and lost youngsters… “Blind Dates” is in a way a continuation of Levan Koghuashvili’s “Street Days”. This time the portrait of society drawn by the director proves his original vision, themes and style, his attitude to reality and film, as well as his constant search for development and interpretation. This makes Levan Koghuashvili totally different from his characters, who are confused, passive and resigned to their fate. Levan Koghuashvili does not focus on daily routine or current problems in society. He uses these themes as a background and highlights what is beyond the visible and tangible. Sandro (Andro Sakvarelidze) - a young man (although already 40 years of age) - and his friend (Archil Kikodze) are neither gloomy nor tragic. Their life
>> Lela Ochiauri
is completely lacking in adventure or action. They lead their lives in a dull, humdrum way, devoid of any sense, as if they are missing firm ground to stand on. Every day is empty and boring. Years pass in monotony, time flows slowly and seems to have stopped altogether (this mood is felt throughout the entire film). Even when things start spiralling and the tension increases (the main character meets Manana, goes on blind dates, drives Manana’s husband around, gets involved in forgery, revenge, fights, arrest, love triangles, conflicts, sheltering of a pregnant girl, etc.), Sandro leaves things as they are and keeps calm in every situation. Although these situations directly affect his life, he seems to be a silent observer. He speaks in rare utterances (just like the other characters in the film, whose dialogues are brief and almost meaningless) and does nothing to
overcome the challenges in his life. Sandro is in a vicious circle, from which he is passively and helplessly trying to escape. There is no emotion whatsoever on his face, his expression is frozen. He seems calm and observes the environment with mechanical actions. He carries out other people’s wishes and other people’s decisions without showing any protest. Due to the film’s structure and marvelous direction, the audience feels his helplessness almost physically. The feeling of loneliness, isolation and a drawn-out hiatus runs through the entire story. Wherever the action takes place – the streets of Tbilisi, the stadium, a shabby hotel room meant for brief rendezvous, apartments, stations or seaside cafes, the seashore or IDP shelters, the prison gates or dilapidated apartment blocks – the feeling of loneliness and helplessness is all pervasive.