The Port That Never Was

Leading documentary filmmaker Stefan Tolz has lived in Georgia for over 30 years. He began this film about the deep seaport of Anaklia project on the Black Sea in 2017. The port would have made Georgia a major hub for trade, with connections to the Chinese New Silk Road initiative. Led by Georgian top banker Mamuka Khazaradze, and with American co-funding, the Anaklia project became a symbol for the hopes and dreams of Georgians and many from the post-Soviet space. However, the Georgian government, in a seemingly deliberate act of sabotage, accused Khazaradze of money laundering a week before important port documents were to be signed. Keeping a close eye on its protagonists over a period of five years, this documentary turns into a political thriller and exemplifies the obstacles of all the countries, which officially claim independence, but are still under strong influence from Russia.

As part of the 2023 London Georgian Black Sea Film Festival