Giorgi Gakharia, a former Prime Minister under the Georgian Dream Governmmnet and current chair of the For Georgia opposition, on Friday urged “everyone” to watch a film directed by Nana Janelidze, following a criticism by the country’s Culture Ministry over its content and “unlawful” state funding.  

In his post, the former official who in 2021 quit after controversies with the ruling power, said he had “really have a small contribution” to the film titled Liza go on. 

“This film should be seen by everyone in Tbilisi and Sokhumi, because it is a film about the fact that, despite many mistakes and a difficult past, Georgians and Abkhazians would have never shot at one another if not Russia”, Gakharia said. 

Culture Minister Thea Tsulukiani, who has been opposed by many in the field for her policies, criticized the film earlier this week in her social media post, but noted she had not watched it. 

Her body claimed the film had received a budgetary funding by the decision of the head of the film center, Gaga Chkheidze “without competition” under Gakharia’s premiership. 

 "In 2020, with the direct intervention of the Prime Minister of that time, Giorgi Gakharia, an additional ₾1,200,000 was allocated for the film, again without competition. A total of ₾1,740,690 GEL was allocated for the film with the support of Gakharia”, the body claimed. 

The main character of the film is a journalist - Liza, a woman in her mid-forties, who, 25 years ago, worked as a war reporter during the Georgian-Abkhazian military conflict (1992-1993) which was provoked by Russia for the purpose of occupying Abkhazia, IMDB said. 

The film critics claimed it would not facilitate the reconciliation process and could spark negative emotions in the conflict-affected communities.