A hot summer day in Tbilisi. The market is still closed, and the only living presence is the local dogs. With the break of day, truckloads of watermelons arrive, people begin to bustle, farmers haggle. Soon, a new shopping centre will take over this place — a building set to erase the life that still lingers here. As we follow people setting off into their day, through the shifting landscape and the call of mythical sirens, our gaze settles on a single fruit vendor who finds himself in a confrontation between life and death. One life equals one village — or perhaps, the entire country?

The work references the Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze and the closure of the historic market in Tbilisi following a government decision – the fate of the Deserters’ Bazaar became one of the causes of the 2024 protest. Visual artist and director Chachkhiani presents a myriad of living paintings, or tableaux vivant, depicting the fragility of the moment, capitalism, politics and its impact on society. The director masterfully constructs a narrative that feels authentic and documentary-like, yet deliberately crafted to linger in the mind like a timeless fable about the small and the great.