08/08/2025 - The Georgian filmmaker’s debut feature-length documentary immerses viewers in the realities of a multinational humanitarian aid centre in Tbilisi

Currently at the rough-cut stage, Boxes From Georgia marks the feature-length debut by Georgian writer-director Gvantsa Meparishvili. The observational documentary captures the emotional dynamics and political fault lines inside a small humanitarian aid centre in Tbilisi, Georgia, where Georgian, Ukrainian and Russian volunteers try to cooperate amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The film centres on Lasha, a 47-year-old Georgian former lawyer who, after years of unemployment, becomes an active volunteer at the centre. Located on Paliashvili Street, the space becomes an unexpected meeting point for those fleeing violence or political repression, Ukrainians seeking refuge and Russians escaping Putin’s regime. Initially a haven of tolerance, the aid hub slowly unravels as internal tensions, power struggles and suspicions take hold. As the conflict outside creeps into this fragile space of solidarity, trust begins to collapse.

Shot entirely in Tbilisi and edited in Glasgow, the film offers a rare, close-up view of a grassroots effort to maintain unity in a region long marred by historical trauma and political instability. Through the perspective of Lasha and his interactions with fellow volunteers, including Russian street artists, Ukrainian refugees and mixed-heritage individuals, the documentary investigates how personal relationships are strained and reshaped under pressure.

Speaking to Cineuropa, Meparishvili explains: “What I discovered was a group of people from vastly different backgrounds, all united by one simple, honest purpose: to help. The centre felt like a microcosm of something greater, a symbolic space where the idea of peaceful coexistence was put to the test. But when the money disappeared and the founder vanished, the tension became unbearable. Suddenly, friends turned into strangers overnight.”

Echoing her approach in her well-travelled short Number 26, Meparishvili maintains a stylistically intimate, observational tone throughout the film. “The camera stays close to the action. I wanted viewers to feel like they were present in the room, caught in the emotional currents, the mistrust and the fleeting beauty of genuine human connection,” she says.

Drawing a subtle parallel between the protagonist and his country, Meparishvili describes Lasha as “a hopeful but destabilised figure – much like Georgia itself, caught between aspirations for independence and the constant pull of external forces”. The documentary touches on themes of identity, trust, post-Soviet fragmentation and the emotional toll of displacement, while carefully avoiding didacticism or political grandstanding.

The editing team includes British editor Elizabeth Clutterbuck, with Nicole Hálová serving as editing consultant. Cinematography is by experienced DoP Fedor Gerlein, whose previous credits include Leave Easy Come Back Safe and Parallel Rotation. The team is currently seeking a sales agent and a distribution partner for the movie’s international festival and release strategy.

Boxes From Georgia is a Georgian-UK co-production between Meparishvili’s ZuchiFilms and Natalie Humphreys, of Glasgow’s Storyboard Studios. The project was developed through the EAVE CHANGE programme (2022-2023) and was pitched at CPH:DOX in 2023. It is supported by Screen Scotland and Glasgow-based post-production company Blazing Griffin.