Chola The Bear

Short synopsis

In 1992 an unemployed film director attempts to escape the Georgian civil war by disguising himself as a bear and travelling with his former stuntman to the Berlin Zoo. It’s a journey fraught with obstacles – some comic, some tragic, some both – in which he learns that hope, love and freedom are as fragile as they are elusive.

Synopsis

With Georgia’s capital under siege in 1992, unemployed film director NIKA sees a unique opportunity to escape the ravages of civil war. A former studio bear CHOLA has been invited to retire at the Berlin Zoo, and NIKA and his former stuntman TOMA can accompany Chola on the long journey. But the war again impinges on the two friends as Nika’s films are burned in an attack that also leaves their beloved bear dead. With no other options, Nika hits on an outrageous solution: he’ll disguise himself in a bear suit and travel as Chola to Berlin. They sneak through Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe to, finally, Berlin, encountering soldiers, police, a mystic soothsayer, drug dealers and gangsters along the way … oh, and a fiery red-headed French-Canadian animal rights activist who joins them to ensure the well-being of ‘Chola!’ It’s a journey fraught with obstacles – some comic, some tragic, some both – in which the motley band of travelers learn that hope, love and freedom are as fragile as they are elusive.

Technical Information

2020; Road movie; Ukraine, Germany, Georgia, Bulgaria; 112 minutes; DCP, ProResHQ; 5.1 mix; Original Language: Georgian, English, German, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, French, Russian; Subtitles: English