Sunny

Honourable Mention, Best Mid-Length Documentary Award

To understand a country's deepest hopes and fears, you need to travel door-to-door seeking answers. Intrepid social researcher Sunny drops into strangers' living rooms in Tbilisi, popping controversial questions. No topic is off limits. Should minority rights be protected? What are your thoughts on abortion? Have you ever felt ashamed to be Georgian? And what age did you stop believing in Santa Claus? Many young people now leave what was once known as "Sunny Georgia" to find work in countries where economic opportunities are easier to come by. Facing her own personal struggles and a government that seems to care little for its citizens, Sunny is determined to get answers, even when people shut the door in her face. From the constellation of interview responses, an intriguing portrait of a post-Soviet state comes together. Nuanced and stylishly composed, this behind-the-scenes look at Georgia offers a disarmingly honest view inside a country that remains relatively unknown in the West. Vivian Belik

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