The starting point for the essayistic experimental documentary film is the small mining town of Chiatura, in west Georgia. The film closely follows the raw material of Manganese, extracted on site through all the stages of processing and distribution, drawing connections with other spaces and temporalities. The film figures manganese as the foundation for different modes of production binding cultural, extractive and arms industries together and powering technological advancements. These shared foundations link this peripheral site to a vast network of things, places and processes across the globe, feeding into current forms of conflicts.

Directing, script, editing Tekla Aslanishvili, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze Producer Tamar Qeburia Camera: Nikoloz Tabukashvili Music Nika Pasuri Sound recordings Irakli Shonia Voice actors Sarah Kivi, Tornike Bziava Script editing Evelina Gambino Sound mix Vazha Marr Color grading Sally Shamas

Tekla Aslanishvili is a Berlin based artist, filmmaker and essayist. She holds a MFA from the UdK Berlin - the department of Experimental Film and New Media Art. Her work has been exhibited at the n.b.k., Baltic Triennial, Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, Kunsthalle Münster, EMAF, Videonale 18, Tbilisi Architecture Biennial. She is the nominee for Ars-Viva Art prize and the recipient of the Han Nefkens Foundation - Fundació Antoni Tàpies Video Art Production Award.

Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze lives and works in Berlin. He studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague and experimental film and video at the UdK. Group exhibitions (selection): Lulea, Luleå Biennial 2020 / Vienna, Kunsthalle Wien / Graz, steirischer herbst ‘19 / Stockholm, Konsthall Mint ABF / Berlin, n.b.k