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The Land of 8000 Vintages

New World, Old World, Ancient World: 8,000 Vintages

The Land of 8000 Vintages

New World, Old World, Ancient World: 8,000 Vintages

1 Campaign |

Washington, United States

$1,453 USD 8 backers

3% of $40,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

Story

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The Story

“The Land of 8000 Vintages” is a cinematic documentary and biographical film interweaving an explorative journey of a Georgian winemaker, American painter and a Georgian-American filmmaker, whose coincidental encounter with Georgian wine culture became an inspirational occurrence spurring a major change in their lives. Capturing elements of historic priority, the project becomes the first-ever English language film to explore the world of ancient wine culture with 8000 years of uninterrupted winemaking tradition. The narrative escapes traditional documentary form and features striking imagery while underscoring the cultural mystique that pervades the memories of Georgia’s uncommon heritage.

"This is an illuminating film of an intimate journey into the meticulous and soulful process of traditional Georgian wine making, from the nurture of grape vines to the harvest of the vintage to it’s transformation by fermentation and rebirth as a substance worthy of philosophical study."

In the cellar grapes are foot-trod in the press carved out of single oak tree trunk, by gravity juice flows down the wooden shoot into the qvevri

Their Journey Through Georgia Unlocks the Doors to Ancient World of Tradition, Culture & Passion

The Winemaker in His Element

The Artist on a Quest for Beauty

The Filmmaker on Historical Discoveries & Adventure

From The Director

I am a child of the former Soviet Union during the Republic of Georgia’s most prosperous period, and came of age during the late 1980s into part of the 1990s. By retrospect, I see the world in a different way than most of my American friends now that I live full-time in the Greater Washington D.C.

I have analog memories. Growing up there were no computer, video or electronic diversions obscuring my attention. Soviet era TV was minimalistic. Everything seems as if it was from wood or grapes dotting the vineyards that laced the vast fields surrounding the house where I grew up during the summer. Friends abounded. Since I lived in Georgia, it became the process of tending to grapes and wine that mostly engaged my early activities with extended family members.

The orchards, the memories, the aspirations to achieve visual meaning through storytelling has all coalesced across time. They provided the capacity for me to take risks and engage the medium of film as the choice format to convey long term perspectives for a receptive audience’s educational entertainment. Traveling across passing calendar pages through the recent years has revealed my professional aspiration as a cinematic filmmaker. My immediate subject now is to focus upon Georgia’s ancient wine traditions being introduced into the Western world, where I once fled for refuge from the untamed Georgian heartland that I once again now embrace.

Alazani Valley - renowned viticultural region in the eastern province of Georgia

World’s oldest wine growing region with over 524 endemic grape varieties,

Using the oldest & the most unique traditional wine-making methods,

One of the world’s most diverse for types of wine,

With most families owning small vineyards,

8000 years of uninterrupted viticulture,

World’s greatest wine story.

Georgia with its ancient traditional society has been on the map for thousands of years while its popularity on today’s contemporary map, in some people’s awareness, is just emerging as a significant barometer for what the region offers. The country becomes a rich tapestry of artisan delights, with an indigenous food culture that complements the specific locally made wine varieties permeating the open hospitality awaiting the foreign visitor. In fact, out of the 14 alphabets constituting all the presently used languages on the planet, Georgia retains its own unique character based alphabet to be found nowhere else except within this small South Caucasus post-Soviet country. In fact, etymology of the English word "wine" and the French word "vin" originate from the ancient Georgian word for wine - gvino.

The Impact

Georgia’s traditional winemaking method of fermenting grapes in earthenware, egg-shaped vessels has been added to the world heritage list of the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO). In its 2013 report, the UN body said that Georgia’s ancient qvevri winemaking method was approved as part of their Intangible Heritage of Humanity List.

The recent upscale allure with artisan wines introduced into certain Western gastronomic circles has recently extended Georgian tastes onto sophisticated palates. What this cinematic documentary provides becomes an up to date momentum describing a “new” hot topic cultural experience; as Old World slower paced mannerisms embraces a cadence into the instant gratification New World pulsations within our times.

By backing "The Land of 8000 Vintages" film, you become a conservator of knowledge passed down over millennia, thus supporting the preservation of authenticity and ancient traditions. Our film will connect viewers with this little-known fable land and spread awareness about the unique gifts Georgia has to offer the world, which will in turn help support indigenous communities and artisanal wine producers as they strive to keep this living history moving forward. We are especially drawn to this mission during this pivotal time, as the country emerges from its post-Soviet sleep.

"Embrace the indigenous heritage of this ancient culture

through the taste buds of your cultivated palette

with the subtle bouquet of old world sensibility."

Risks & Challenges

Want to make a film in Georgia? Read first the primer for the unhinged fruitcake who might ever attempt a challenge such as this. Yet we are dedicated towards following through, even if only to provide an epic tale of the process towards cultivating wine from the remote villages, where access becomes impossible between November through April. Falling rocks, landslides, dodgy spiders and snakes, sweeping turns of rock hewn roads, plus crazy drivers like you wouldn't believe and so much more. In Georgia, the fact that anything can and will happen arises from its legacy as being part of the former Soviet Union. In recent years, however, modern world tendencies have been seen to be lurching into the social structure; albeit in a halting staccato pace and particularly in remote regions where this film will be primarily produced. Meaning, there are now cars in most places instead of quaint vintage donkeys with carts and even electricity too. Although a plethora of cows, sheep and occasional piglets still run amuck across roadways in their own unique descriptive of a rural rush hour, what can arise in such a situation becomes both a predictable guessing game along with all new surprises occurring daily.

Ushguli is Europe's highest continuously inhibited village with medieval towers & UNESCO World Heritage Site

How We Will Use The Funds

To engage in production, we need funds to acquire equipment for the yearlong filming period, setting out to chronicle the life of the vine and the characters during four seasons of the year, from March Equinox to December Solstice. Funds raised will help us push the art form of storytelling forward by covering the expenses of the latest/advanced filmmaking technologies and innovations.

Ways You Can Help

Please mention this undertaking to your friends and family, share this campaign on social media platforms. This is avant-garde material and there will be a time when this film will be recognized at international festivals with elite audiences watching these images from halfway around the world. This becomes a good time to get involved, as personal contributions will be greatly appreciated with opportunities to participate either onset or after release.

As a contributor towards helping make this film a reality, you can receive direct access to the production process and have an experience of a culture out of time, as you vicariously visit with your Western eyes to see the film to completion.