Posted by Paul Devlin:
This animated parody of the electricity crisis in Georgia, is a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Georgians. With amazing good nature, they are able to find humor in the worst situations.
When I heard about this cartoon on my 2nd or 3rd trip to Tbilisi to film Power Trip, I didn’t take much notice. But after I saw it, I realized that it was gold for my movie. One of my main characters, Mike Scholey, was animated on national television in Georgia! Not only that, but the scene he’s in – banging on a table, cursing about disconnecting the President’s electricity – is hilarious. I had a ball milking it in Power Trip. That section never failed to get a huge laugh in screenings and was great relief. Those little moments can sell a movie about a difficult topic and make it memorable.
Here’s a rare opportunity to see the cartoon in its entirety. It turns out to be a truly bizarre, surreal trip into the dream-life of then President Eduard Shevardnadze, with lots of inside jokes about his hair and accent. Enjoy!