WHAT DOES THE MUD WHISPER?

Dea Tcholokava / 18 min. / 2025 / Georgia / Spanish Premiere
Short Documentary Films 2026

Synopsis

In the heart of Georgia, where myth and reality intertwine, little Tako embarks on a journey to uncover the ancient secret of the region’s healing mud. For generations, people have traveled to this mystical place, seeking cures for their ailments and hoping to prolong their lives. This documentary portrays the life of a child, which symbolizes the people who shape and sustain contemporary myths, revealing how ordinary folk craft legends that blur the lines between healing, belief, and imagination.

About the film

DIRECTION: Dea Tcholokava
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bartek Błedowski
PRODUCTION: Irina Gelashvili
EDITING: Dea Tcholokava
MUSIC: Nika Phaniashvili

Dea Tcholokava

Author

Dea Tcholokava is a Georgian filmmaker with an academic background in socio-political sciences and filmmaking, studied in both Georgia and Germany. She has collaborated with the Caucasus-based media platform Chai Khana on several projects, including Traffic Diaryand Of Kids and Sea. Dea has also worked as an editor and assistant director alongside esteemed Georgian filmmakers such as Lana Gogoberidze, Tato Kotetishvili, and Bakur Bakuradze. Her recent short documentary What Does the Mud Whisper premiered at the Krakow Film Festival in 2025. That same year, she was awarded the Documenta Archive and Goethe-Institut Fellowship.

Filmography

2025 What Does the Mud Whisper? [corto]