a short film by George Barbakadze 2005 | 8 mins | Australia ›› The Bridge a poignant work on the subject of immigration and separation With a spoiler warning firmly in place, this well-executed tale tells the story of a gay couple of Georgian origin whose desire to live together in Australian is cast to the wind, when a permanent residency for one is granted, only for the other to see his application turned down. In short, this is a poignant work on the subject of immigration and inparticular the laws that determine the number of immigrants that should, or should not, be granted permission to live on foreign soil. Only here director and co-writer George Barbakadze avoids the use of references to the official government policy of the day, preferring instead to highlight the negative side of the process, namely when a bureaucratic 'no' equates to more than just a return journey for those who seek political asylum in the hope of escaping their native country; whether it be from the sexual intolerance of the state or the bloody reality of warfare. Yet in depicting such, Barbakadze packs a lot into a mere eight minutes. From a critical opening sequence set in The Republic of Georgia to the sombre scenes many a decade later, the contrasting emotions of hope and despair are vividly captured in a film that is enhanced by the simple but effective piano and violin score of Alies Sluiter. It is a work in which few words are spoken, as flashbacks of tender moments of the two lovers together provide an acute backdrop to the heartwrenching finale. Well-shot throughout, this intense piece aptly depicts the emotional pain of separation, charting as-it-does the often unseen face of the immigration process. A thoughtful work indeed. available on DVD as part of the Wolfe Video catalogue - 'Boy Crush' release starring: Glen Upton, Andy Cunningham and Justin Davies as the voice of Luka Copyright 2008 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #174 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹