DocNights: Hotel Metalurg CTBA

From the archive

This film was last shown on 25 September 2023

Survivors of the Abkhaz-Georgian war find themselves under pressure to leave the disused luxury hotel where they have lived for more than 30 years.

The little-known conflict between Georgians and the Abkhaz people in Abkhazia, a partially recognised republic, began following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many civilians were forced to flee the region, with thousands relocating to Tskaltubo, an abandoned tourist resort known for its Soviet-era luxury sanatoriums.

Over the last three decades, most of the community’s men have gone, leaving behind a large population of women and children. The buildings they live in have fallen into a state of disrepair, but these residents remain, living with the hope of one day returning to Abkhazia.

George Varsimashvili and Jeanne Nouchi’s timely film poetically captures life in this world, giving voice to previously unheard stories, just as the war in Ukraine raises spectres of the past for so many.

DocNights, in collaboration with Sheffield DocFest, is a monthly screening of documentary films taking place on the last Monday of every month.

This screening will be introduced by a member of the Sheffield DocFest team.

F-Rated: Co-Directed by Jeanne Nouchi