Power Trip (2004. 85 minutes) by Paul Devlin
They say that power corrupts, and nowhere is that more literally true
than in Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.
Electrical power, using it, stealing it, supplying it, and even dying
for it, is the focus of Power Trip, a fascinating documentary by Paul
Devlin.
Can AES-Telasi, the American-owned, privatized electric company in
Tbilisi, convince residents to pay for power that costs twice the
average monthly salary? Even if citizens do pay, will political deceit
and widespread disrepair keep Tbilisi in the dark?
Power Trip is a humorous, heartbreaking look at the culture clash
between corporate power suppliers and citizens as they feel their way
through post-Soviet Georgia, where corruption, civil war, and chaos are
everyday occurrences, but electricity might not be.Can AES-Telasi, the
American-owned, privatized electric company in Tbilisi, Georgia convince
residents to pay for power that costs twice the average monthly salary?
Awards
- Berlin Film Festival, 2003 Berliner Zeitung Readers' Jury Prize
- Florida Film Festival, 2003 Grand Jury Award, Best Documentary Feature
- Canadian International Documentary Festival, 2003 Best International Documentary Feature
- Red Bank International Film Festival, 2003 Best Documentary Feature
ALSO INCLUDED ON DVD
Red Diaper Baby (2004. 90 minutes.) by Doug Pray
When Josh Kornbluth recalls his childhood as a "Red Diaper Baby," the
child of American Communists in 1970s New York City , it's not exactly
Ward and June Cleaver territory. In the concert film of Kornbluth's
acclaimed one-man show, his sharp monologue begins and ends with his
profane, eccentric, and often naked father. Both laughter and pain mark
Kornbluth's coming of age in a world where "The International" is the
daily hymn and JFK International is the "Bay of Pigs Memorial Airport."
Noted documentary filmmaker Doug Pray (Scratch, Hype) directs.
