The Blue Mountains, or An Unlikely Story

A young author named Soso wrote a novella and brought it to the editorial office in hopes of publication. He goes through all the circles of bureaucratic hell; seasons change, but no one remembers the novella, as everyone is busy with their own affairs. In the entire institution, only one painter enjoys reading manuscripts, and even he is slacking off from his work.

This is a satire on Soviet bureaucrats and the system of the USSR, presented with a Georgian twist. Everyone pretends to be engaged in titanic labor, while camaraderie everywhere replaces efficiency; no one works, everyone attends to personal matters, and no one cares about the individual.

It serves as a peculiar illustration of the proverb: "The Soviet state pretends to pay us. And we pretend to work."

The provocative film was fortunate to be released during the rise to power of reformist Mikhail Gorbachev. It is said that he watched the film at a preview with Eduard Shevardnadze and remarked: "Eduard, if we don't take action, the ceiling will also fall on our heads, just like in this film."

Ultimately, the film was released in theaters, won the grand prize at the XVII All-Union Film Festival, and was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.