Fotografia / Photography: Giviko Tukhareli, Ketevan Vashagashvili. Montaggio / Editing: Veronica Scotti, Bernadett Tuza-Ritter. Musica / Music: Kalin Nikolov. Suono / Sound: Nika Paniashvili, Tamta Mandzulashvili, Tengo Mandzulashvili. Interpreti / Cast: Zhana Vakhtangishvili, Elene Kukhtinovi. Produzione / Produced by: 1991 Productions. Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Agitprop, Vincent Productions, MDR/Arte. Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Cinedoc Tbilisi, Fritt Ord / Chai Khana, Bulgarian National Film Center, Inmaat Foundation, International Media Support, Idfa Bertha Fund, Eurimages, Murman Original Pictures. Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: CAT&Docs.
Zhana, a Georgian mother, turns to surrogacy to secure a roof over her daughter’s head. What begins as a quick way to earn cash transforms into a profound sacrifice, questioning how far a mother can go.
“I first met Zhana and Elene while filming a short TV documentary in 2012 about the lives of orphans once they have left the orphanage they’ve grown up in… During the process, I met several girls from an orphanage in Georgia and was shocked with the challenging conditions they were facing – with most of them turning to sex work or battling with alcohol addiction. Zhana was one of the orphans I met, but she was different – she was living on the streets with her four-year-old daughter, Elene… Her strength and tenderness towards Elene touched me. I filmed her for my short and helped her find a safer place to stay. I managed to raise money for her rent and helped her to find a job, to get social assistance and support. Since then Zhana and Elene have both stayed in my life.” (K. Vashagashvili)
Ketevan Vashagashvili
Documentary filmmaker Ketevan Vashagashvili, based in Tbilisi, is a Chevening Alumnus with an MA in Digital Documentary from the University of Sussex (UK). Ketevan has 15 years of experience working at various Georgian TV channels and online platforms, directing and producing TV documentaries, series, and programs. She now works at the Georgian Public Broadcaster. One of the projects presented at WEMW in 2023, 9-Month Contract is her first feature-length documentary. The film premiered at CPH:DOX 2025, where it received the Human Rights Award.
