An Incomplete Day in the History of Georgia 10.06.93

On 10 June 1993, a sensitive issue was brought before the Georgian parliament. Under the leadership of head of state Eduard Shevardnadze, parliamentarians debated the introduction of the kuponi, a national currency intended to replace the Russian ruble.

This currency reform marked a definitive break with the Soviet past, but parliamentarians from across the political spectrum voiced concerns that the new currency would weaken the country’s position in international trade and open the door to hyperinflation—in a country where many citizens had already been going hungry for months and fuel prices were skyrocketing. Moreover, Russian retaliation could not be ruled out.

An Incomplete Day in the History of Georgia 10.06.93 shows how chaotic and unpredictable historic decisions can be. Composed entirely of video footage from the parliamentary session, much of it severely degraded by the passage of time, the film captures the parliamentarians taking part in the debate, and still somewhat awkwardly finding their footing. Above all, this document from the early days of independent Georgia reveals the fragile nature of the democratic process.