In an environment of pervasive corruption,
political assassination, and street rioting, the
story of chaotic post-Soviet transition is told
through culture clash, electricity disconnections
and blackouts.
AES Corp., the massive American 'global power
company', has purchased the privatised electricity
distribution company in Tbilisi, capital of the
former Soviet Republic of Georgia. AES manager,
Piers Lewis, must now train the former communist
populace that, in this new world, customers pay
for their electricity. The Georgians meanwhile,
from meter readers to the energy minister, devise
ever more clever ways to steal it.
Amidst hot tempers and high drama, Lewis
balances his love for the Georgian people with the
hardships his company creates for them, as they
struggle to build a nation from the rubble of
Soviet collapse.
The unbelievable ingenuity of the residents
of the capital of Tbilisi in dealing with daily
life and bureaucracy is depicted in an accurate
and, ultimately, tragicomic manner. - Berlin Film
Festival, The Berliner Zeitung Reader's Jury
Prize
The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary
Feature - Florida Film Festival 2003 Best
International Documentary Feature Best Documentary
-Transparency International Film Festival
2003