Description:
A retired Georgian wrestler crosses the Atlantic to visit his son in Brooklyn, only to discover he's in serious trouble. A darkly funny yet gentle story of parental devotion and sacrifice.
Former wrestling champion Kakhi always has his family on his conscience. After making arrangements to cover for his brother's gambling debts, Kakhi departs his humble home in the Republic of Georgia to pay a visit to his son Soso in outer Brooklyn. As Kakhi settles into Soso's Brighton Beach boarding house-which constitutes a popup community of fellow Georgian immigrants-he learns that Soso has also accrued a huge debt to the local mob boss, a roadblock to Soso's future in medicine. Despite a sense of frustration, the bonds between father and son are still strong, and Kakhi's wrestling skills come in handy when trying to solve their problems.
"For the main role, I tried to cast men who looked like wrestlers, and then I moved onto wrestlers. Levan is a legend in Georgia; he was named the best athlete of the 20th century. We heard that he was struggling with his health and his hearing, however, so he was the last on my list. Once, in Iran, the Shah was so impressed that he asked him what he wanted. There was another wrestler in jail, sentenced to death. So, Levan said: "I want you to release this guy!" He earned him his freedom through wrestling! He is this unbeatable champion, but he also lost a son in the war - they went there together, and he died in his arms. You can see all of that in his face. No wonder it's so unique." (Levan Koguashvili)