She Likes to Watch

“Botso: The Passion of Music, The Power of Art,” is a feature-length documentary film project focusing on the life of Morro Bay teacher, musician and sculptor Wachtang “Botso” Korisheli, and on the importance of an arts education to society. Central Coast filmmakers Tom Walters, Hilary Grant, and Simo Nylander are traveling with the Korisheli family in the Republic of Georgia, where Botso grew up. Funded through ongoing donations from the community, this nonprofit endeavor is being produced under the auspices of the San Luis Obispo County Youth Symphony. SLO Goings will publish blog entries written by the filmmakers about their trip in coming weeks. More information can be found at www.aspectstudios.com/botso.

We’ve only been in Georgia a few days, but what we noticed immediately is the hospitality of the Georgian people. Botso’s relatives came to pick us up at the airport — at 4 a.m. Then — even though they knew we wouldn’t be using their services — two taxi drivers helped us load all of our luggage and camera gear. They did it because they saw a need — and also saw that it was the right thing to do.

Then, our landladies (we are renting two apartments) were waiting for us a half hour later. They wanted to show us where our bedding was, how to get hot water, how to use keys, etc. The landlady of the apartment where I’m staying (with Tom and Simo Nylander, our cameraman), had already stocked the refrigator for breakfast, saying “I knew you would be coming in in the middle of the night, and I knew you would be hungry.” This was a gesture from someone who is clearly stuggling to make ends meet. And of course, we’ve already shot a lot of footage in and around Tbilisi.

This includes going to the top of a non-operating tramway where an amusement park is under construction; the “Holy Mountain” church with an adjacent memorial garden that pays homage to many of Georgia’s artists, actors and musicians (including Botso’s godmother); Botso’s high school, where we met the principal and discovered that the President of Georgia is also an alumnus, and an interview and photo shoot with a major daily newspaper in Georgia.

And that doesn’t even begin to cover the entire day!

Hilary Grant

Writer/Co-Producer of “Botso”