Under the premise of documenting and preserving the different techniques of religious Georgian singing, a distinct kind of sonorous psalmody passed over from generation to generation, director Otar Iosseliani in reality captures a snapshot of a not-so-distant past that seems almost of another world to the homo metropolitanis of the early 21st century. Although titled Georgian Ancient Songs, this 20-minute documentary is not too bothered with its documentary aspect. With the Georgian chants in the background, this capsule of Georgian bucolic life, the hardships and small pleasures of these folks, is almost touching and mesmerizing in its simplicity, honesty and emotional clarity. [chaos-rampant @ IMDb] |