Movies for Peace: Georgia Hosts HWPL Short Film Festival

The first Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) Short Film Festival was held in Tbilisi, at the Georgian National Museum, on June 4.

Around 70 participants had submitted their short films on the theme of peace from which 9 works were selected to be screened publicly.

The jury consisted of movie director Rusudan Chkonia; Head of the Strategic Communications Division at the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Shalva Tevdoradze; and HWPL Delegation representative, Kayla Chang.

The jury members chose films in three nominations to be awarded: Best Short Film went to ‘Letters’ (directed by Keti Giashvili from Chaikhana), the Best Director went to ‘Roots’ (directed by Pioneer Film School students) and the Best Actor went to ‘Butterfly’ (directed by Anna Akhalaia).

The HWPL delegation chose ‘Roots’ for a special HWPL Prize.

The Best Short Film, ‘Letters,’ is a series of videos containing letters from Abkhazian people who live in Georgia, written to their family and friends who have not been seen in over 23 years. The movie reflects the situations of 250,000 people who were forced to leave their homes in Abkhazia.

Chairman of the Business Chamber and Professor at the Tbilisi State University (TSU), Emzar Jgerenaia, said the short films screened during the festival moved the attendees and went a ways towards promoting peace in Georgian society.

“I hope this cultural platform is held often and results in positive effects in Georgia,” Jgerenaia added.

This film festival is a practical achievement of the culture of peace that is specified in Article 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War, helping towards a turning point in the history of humanity that has commemorated war until now, inspiring the public to have a mentality of peace.

The festival was organized and planned by HWPL throughout six months. It was sponsored by Peter Moennig, founder of the Peter Moennig Foundation.

HWPL is an international peace organization with leaders from all levels working alongside youth and women. HWPL hosted the HWPL World Alliance of Religions Peace Summit in September 2014 with around 2000 leaders worldwide attending. The ‘Signing Ceremony for the Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law’ took place there.

The HWPL International Law Peace Committee was established thereafter and the draft of the international law was proclaimed within a year. Six months later, on March 14, 2016, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War was proclaimed.

The Declaration contains a proposal of answers to religious conflicts and the spreading of the culture of peace. It urges for the support of current heads of states. The declaration is also to be sent to the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Tatia Megeneishvili