In 1992, the Abkhaz War broke out, the Inguli River became the boundary river between Abkhazia and Georgia, and the sound of gunfire was also sounded in the quiet mountains, located in the village on the border between the two countries, in order to avoid the war, Grandpa and his granddaughter planted corn on a small island, planning to live a peaceful and leisurely life in the peach blossom garden. Starting from the land, a palm-sized piece of Yuji Xiaozhou was discovered by the old man and created a home, which in itself is full of poetry. Even if the background of war is stripped away, there is unlimited narrative space for simply depicting the transformation of nature and the struggle against nature. With the reclamation of this virgin land, the little girl is also developing, and the vitality and hope of this land are very compatible with human life and have a rare charm.
With George Owash willy's shot, you can see the distant mountains fading away, the tender river, the sound of the oars paddling and the birds flying over the island. It's all like a far-reaching landscape painting, with a faint soundtrack, soothing shots, and a silence between the old man and his granddaughter, which can be frozen or slowly looked at with the camera. Life in the film is simple to the minimum. A piece of land, self-nailed house, three or two small fish, sowing corn. Occasionally, a border patrol boat is seen on the water.
Premiered at the 2014 Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the dialogue-less", "The Island of Crops" won the highest prize, the Earth Crystal Instrument Award and the Catholic Humanitarian Spirit Award. Georgian director George Owashweili's last film "The Other Side of the Shore", which is also the theme of the Abkhaz war, has represented Georgia in the "Olympic bid" and failed to be nominated. Although this film is also a 14-year Olympic bid film, its fame is incomparable with "Ada" and "Leviathan", and it has not been nominated, but the quality can be said to be no less. The whole story is told in a static way, and all the director does is to set up the camera and observe from the side, the change of seasons, the growth of crops, and the life of a pair of grandchildren on a small island in the river. The development and advancement of the storyline seems calm on the surface, but the content can be said to be rich and delicate, and there are many details that are thought-provoking.
In addition to the simple description of the hope of "survival" of a simple family of cells. There is no requirement for much material wealth, or even completely agricultural self-cultivation. In addition to the granddaughter waiting for the graduation certificate, does this old and young have any extravagant expectations? In addition to "safety and stability", the reticent grandfather and the granddaughter who is still not close to the elderly are the most solid happiness. In fact, the most important thing in the film is to promote the granddaughter, which is not deeply involved in the world, and the "growth" of simple life. As Free washed on the island, he was whistled by the patrolling soldiers, looking intently at the girl's water-soaked, looming developing body. When the Russian soldiers gradually sprouted with the rescue, this doomed relationship was broken by the grandfather. However, none of this is the end. When the corn was ripe, the hand of the girl harvesting the corn was punctured and injured. A heavy rain in the mountains prompted the grandchildren to hurry to harvest the remaining corn, and after hastily sending their granddaughter to board the boat first, the grandfather did not catch the boat that had drifted away, and snuggled up to the pillar of the wooden house. However, just as the rain tore apart the rootless island, the wooden house that kept my grandfather alive also creaked and sank. At the end of the film, the Russian soldiers come to the flooded island again, dig up the girl's doll, wash it and put it on the ship. The aftertaste of the film is that it completes the most serious narrative of life's life in an incomparably quiet. Not only is there less dialogue between the characters, but the emotional ups and downs are not drastic. There is no supporting soundtrack. However, there is no sleepiness. In fact, nowhere in the world, it is impossible to find a completely safe place to live. We are also unable to resist the growth of our own bodies, and the complex environment of fear that we will eventually face. The island of crops is also like an island that reflects our lives, and we can grow crops safely, but in the end, we may not be able to stop those heavenly arrangements. Some people pursue a vigorous life, some people yearn for a plain life, it is better to cherish the present, when the right fate comes, it does not have to be a regret sigh, sometimes growth becomes a spirit, that is our life is still continuing.
