POWER TRIP
In 1999, in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, the American multinational AES Corporation took over the power distribution company from the government. Now, AES-Telasi has to meet the power requirements of the seriously impoverished Georgian population. Georgia been in a state of chaos for years; civil wars and economic havoc have paralysed the country. Not surprisingly, the American interference threatens to end in failure. The power supply infrastructure in Georgia is in a dreadful state – not one house has a meter box, people illegally tap electricity on a massive scale. The population refuses to pay for electricity which was once virtually free to them once upon a Soviet time. Only ten percent of the bills are paid, which causes a great financial crisis for AES. We follow the story of a British manager as he tries to make things right, but they only get worse: authorities resist the changes, and this causes large parts of the country and the capital city, Tbilisi, to suffer power shortages. At first glance, the subject matter may not seem exciting, but director Paul Devlin’s POWER TRIP creates a brilliant social verite portrait. It is a fascinating and bewildering account of the consequences of corruption, cultural differences and the arduous transition from communism to capitalism. Devlin has unusually free access to the Georgian archives and to all the right people. The complex subject is lucidly and stirringly given human proportions.
Verenigde Staten, 2003
colour, video, 1 uur 25 min.
Editing: Paul Devlin
Photography: Paul Devlin
Production: Paul Devlin
Director: Paul Devlin
Sound: Paul Devlin, Paul Devlin
11/23/2003, 12:00, City 7 (VN dag)
11/23/2003, 22:30, FM Cinerama 1
11/25/2003, 12:15, City 2
11/28/2003, 11:45, City 2