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December 2008 Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management Inside: Read more stories in Georgian and English Merry Christmas! Happy NewYear! INSIDE Village of abandoned children is limited to 78 inhabitants Page 5 saTamaSoebis fasi erTidan 50,000 laramde meryeobs gverdi15 photo by Leli Blagonravova Costs of Childbirth Beyond Reality Birth-rate in Georgia keeps declining Salome Jashi: a filmmaker’s lense Irina VELSKA Twenty-four-year-old Sara Ja- Tsira GVASALIA Natia ANASTASIADI farova just had her second child. Now She loved collecting pins as a little “I want to challenge conventional- Vahagn ANTONYAN one-day-old baby girl lies in a cot ity and suggest something new, see next to mother’s bed. Her fi rst child girl. Strangely enough, she never something absurd. I will try my best GM products are — three-year-old Riat — stays with to provoke breaking this kind of (con- Up to 50,000 children are born used them for fastening or joining imported to Georgia grandparents while the young mother things together. Pins were a some- ventional) ‘agreement’ in society,” she in Georgia every year. Dr. Akaki is recovering after the delivery in the says. Disapproving consensus and Bakradze, Clinical Director of St. Maternity Hospital. Jafarova says she what irrational obsession. conventions, as she puts it, is not so does not think she will have a third easy. More than that, it is struggle. She Page 10 Jacobs and St. Anna Maternity Hos- child. “One needs lots of money to give “Something in them attracted me,” struggles against dogma. But some- pital in Tbilisi, says it means an av- birth to a child,” she says adding that she says. Th us, the 27-year-old Geor- times the attempt proves to be prolifi c. erage of 2-3 children per family. In one needs at least GEL 1,000 (more gian documentary fi lmmaker Salome To interpret reality in her own way, she than US $ 700) to cover the expenses of Jashi perceived pins through a special settled down in Gldani for a month to his opinion, this ratio is nothing in delivering and supporting a child dur- lens. And not only pins. Reality for her explore this outskirt of Tbilisi. She had comparison to the birthrate 30 years ing the fi rst month. “I paid 700 lari (US is very individual and never totally ob- heard that this part of the city was, in ago, when an rural family had up to $ 500) for the delivery as I wanted to jective. her own words, “dark and dangerous” 8 children. have an opportunity to choose a doc- “I perceive reality as I observe it and and people bore the brunt of social tor,” says Jafarova. She and her new- shoot it as I want. Reality goes through hardship there. Th rough Jashi’s fi lter Dr. Bakradze says there are mul- born daughter stay at comfortable my ‘fi lter’ and I put it into visual im- Gldani turned out not so “dark” as tiple reasons for the baby bust. Immi- ward designed for four women. If she ages. Th e reality may be quite diff erent they said. Th us she created her version gration of the population, changes of had asked for a single ward, it would from what I show. No one knows what of Gldani. social behavior among men and wom- have cost GEL 100 (approximately US actual reality is,” she says. After graduating Caucasus School en and an unstable economic situation $ 70) more. Documentary fi lm for her is a of Journalism and Media Manage- are the most crucial factors why birth- For Jafarova’s family, this additional “tool” for interpreting the world in ment in 2003, she started her career as profesia — rate in Georgia keeps declining. “We, cost would mean a hardship. She does her own way. It means manipulating a news reporter on Rustavi 2. Just after Georgians, like a comfortable life,” says not work and lives with her parents, reality. But what is reality in Georgia her fi rst news story, she came home jariskaci Dr. Bakradze. “And children demand while her husband works abroad and for Jashi? People here have more ste- with a strong sense of remorse; she did some attention. Th at’s why children sends her GEL 100-140 (US $ 70-100) reotypes that almost everyone agrees not even sleep at night, as she recalls. are great, but it’s also great to go out at every month. are right — almost everyone, but not gverdi17 night, or go away for a weekend.” Continued on page 7 Jashi. She always asks questions. Continued on page 13 2 CAUCASUS SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA MANAGEMENT BSJ CAUCASUS SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA MANAGEMENT Reporters Irina Velska Natia Anastasiadi Vahagn Antonyan Nino Natsvaladze Giorgi Aptsiauri EkaChitanava Ketevan Vashagashvili Ketevan Aptsiauri Marinka Gharibashvili Elene Chakhunashvili Gvantsa Barbakadze Rusudan Panozishvili Tsira Gvasalia Seymur Kazimov Natalie Nozadze Harut Petrosyan Gvantsa Barbakadze Tsisana Kiguradze Nino Kakhishvili Akaki Kipshidze Natia Rusadze Suzi Kalashyan Natia Sukhiashvili Malkhaz Chkadua Kamila Mamedova Tamuna Bubashvili Temo Bardzimashvili Marika Kochiashvili Editors Margie Freaney Pamela Renner William Dunbar Ana Keshelashvili Leli Blagonravova Tiko Tsomaia Lika Katcharava Dean Maia Mikashavidze Special thanks to Irina Velska Goga Davtyan The Brosse Street Journal welcomes letters to the editor Please make submissions to: 2 Brosset St., Tbilisi Georgia [email protected] tel: (+995 32) 923952 fax:(+995 32) 931466 BSJ reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity All material copyrighted 2008 BSJ CAUCASUS SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA MANAGEMENT 3 Expectations and Wishes for the New Year 2009 Kent Logsdon, Deputy US Ambassador Holidays in Georgia are a celebration of friends and family “I am very happy to be in Geor- have two small children and we want We hope it will be very prosperous, gia this year. We have two holidays: very much to be in our new home in happy and peaceful year most of all, Christmas, that is an earlier holiday Georgia. And we are excited about and I think that the US and Georgia than in Georgia, when it comes later, that, and for the New Year we are go- working together, will fi nd good ways and than the New Year. My family and ing to Th ailand. We used to live there to make it happen! So I’m optimistic. I will be here for western Christmas, before. Our expectations for the New What is the same for my fam- & American Christmas on the 25th, we Year are like everyone else in Georgia. ily here is how much Georgians care Q A about family and friends, that’s very important for us as well, so on holidays we will be together, the whole family. It’s very characteristic how Georgians How do look at holidays. It’s a celebration of friends and family. We have a special holy Christmas you celebrate night dinner at home, we put our chil- dren to bed and wake up expecting the visit of Santa Clause, ‘Tovlis Papa’ in New Year? the case in Georgia, in the morning of the Christmas, 25th, we will wake up, GELA MUMLADZE, 26 open up our presents, and then, prob- is always in good cheer for the New Year’s holiday. He spends ably, go to church as well. New Year’s eve with friends, but always buys gifts for his par- ents and wife. “I want to congratulate all of Georgia on this day, We have already prepared for Christmas. Th ere are very nice things and most of all I wish you peace,” Mumladze says. in Georgia to buy, particularly, we found very nice wooden hand-carved toys for our children.” NUNU JANASHIA, 69 has two children and fi ve grandchildren. As a traditional Geor- gian family, they celebrate New Year’s Day traditionally. Classic Inga Grigolia, Georgian dishes Satsivi, Khachapuri, Churchkhela, Gozinaki popular journalist and red wine are always in abundance on the holiday table. and talk show host Th ey begin preparing for New Year two weeks in advance, and the whole family gathers for New Year’s Eve. Th ose, who off er their best wishes for the New Year at the Janashia household are I start preparing called Mekvle, and is given bread wet with red wine—a symbol of plenty. “I want to say happy 2009 to my country. I wish you for the New Year health, victory, and the grace of God,” she added. just few hours earlier Inga Grigolia is so busy with work that LEVAN GAGNIDZE, 40 she barely notices that 2009 is coming soon. is married and has two children. He always celebrates the New She plans to celebrate this New Year with her Year with his family, and then either visits friends, or receives family. Because of her busy schedule, she only guests at home. He doesn’t get involved in preparing the festivi- gets a few hours to prepare for the big event, ties, he lets his wife take care of the food while his children dec- and each year her wish is the same, for her orate the tree. “I want to congratulate all Georgians this New program to be on air, and for her to be able to Year and to wish them the peaceful life” says Gagnidze. discuss the most important events and issues in Georgia. NINO ARABULI, 42 doesn’t have any special traditions for New Year. Hers is a reli- Robert Sturua, gious family, and she, her husband and three children, keep to prominent Georgian the Christmas fast, which ends on Orthodox Christmas, cel- theatre director ebrated on January 7th.

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