Berliner
Date:
December 15, 2022
Berliner
Berliner
by Anna Khazaradze
1991 Productions | Georgia
Documentary | 1st feature
Logline
In Berlin, a Georgian immigrant woman bridges the gap for asylum seekers from post-Soviet countries, providing in-person translations. But her crucial role is threatened as German authorities turn to automated digital translations.
Synopsis
Nana, a 61-year-old Georgian woman, has lived in Berlin since the early ’90s. Once an architect in Georgia, she now works as a licensed translator, accessing refugee centers, courts, and prisons. Fluent in both Georgian and German, she becomes a crucial guide for Georgian asylum seekers, helping them navigate the complex bureaucracy of Germany. Many see her as their lifeline, believing their future depends on her.
“Hello, I’m your interpreter,” Nana often says to newly arrived asylum seekers. More than just translating words, she acts like a compassionate mother or experienced sister, offering advice and emotionally involving herself in their stories. She accompanies them to their new homes to make sure they settle in without barriers.
Recognizable by her colorful outfits, Nana moves through Berlin with her carry-on suitcase, named Konstantin, filled with essentials like food, first-aid items, and clothing. She balances her intense work with her love for jazz, concerts, and spending time with her family as a proud grandmother.
The film follows Nana into refugee centers and translator’s rooms, offering a glimpse into the hidden world of asylum seekers. The translator’s room becomes a microcosm where freelance interpreters from various nationalities share meals, stories, and the common experience of waiting—both for assignments and alongside the refugees.
Nana’s work is under threat, though, as German authorities push for replacing face-to-face translators with remote systems, aiming to protect interpreters from the emotional strain of refugee stories. Despite initial trial failures, the authorities persist, threatening Nana’s job and the deeply personal connections she forms with those she helps.
The film explores how translation impacts both Nana and the refugees, questioning whether these vital human encounters could be replaced by impersonal technology, severing the emotional bonds that make her work so meaningful.
Director’s Profile
Anna Khazaradze is a co-founder of 1991 Productions, a Tbilisi-London-based production company specializing in developing, financing, and producing fiction and documentary films through European co-productions. With years of experience, Anna is dedicated to supporting emerging local and international talents. She is also a co-founder and executive board member of DOCA – Documentary Association Georgia.
Recently, Anna co-produced Levan Akin’s Crossing, which opened the Berlinale Panorama 2024. Her producer credits include Smiling Georgia (2023), which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and Glory to the Queen(2020), which she also co-directed. The film won the Best Documentary prize in Georgia and was showcased at 25 festivals worldwide.
Anna is currently developing several projects, including the documentary 9-Month Contract, pitched at Sheffield Doc/Fest as a Whickers finalist and spotlighted at Cannes Docs. She is also directing the feature documentary Berliner (Nipkow, CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator, Close-Up Initiative), and the feature fiction Tear Gas, funded by GNFC, CNC, and ZDF/Arte. Her projects have garnered attention at various international pitching markets and workshops.
Anna holds a bachelor’s degree in Film and Television from the London College of Communication (UAL).
Company Profile
1991 Productions is a Tbilisi-based women-led film production and service company run by Nino Chichua and Anna Khazaradze who develop finance and produce talented directors’ fiction and documentary films through co-productions. The most recent feature film they co-produced, CROSSING (2024) by Levan Akin opened Berlinale Panorama 2024 and won Teddy Jury Award for Ensemble Cast. Recent credits also include feature documentary SMILING GEORGIA, directed by Luka Beradze, premiering at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2023 and feature documentary GLORY TO THE QUEEN screened over 25 festivals globally, winning the Best Documentary award in Georgia in 2021.
Nino graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a degree in Film & TV Production and Anna holds a BA in Film and Television from the London College of Communication (UAL). Determined to bring the best practices to their home country’s growing film industry, Nino and Anna moved back to Georgia and started 1991 Productions in 2017.