Original subtitles

SALT FOR SVANETIA

Based upon an articIe by S. Tretlakov

Director & Chief Cameraman Mikhail Kalatozov

Co-Cinematographer Sh. Geglashvili

"The Soviet Union is a country so big and diverse..

...that every kind of social and economic way of life...

...is to be found within it" Lenin

Even now there are far reaches of the Soviet Union where...

..the patriarchal way of life persists...

...along with remnants of the clan system.

Map of the Caucasian Mountains, showing the Ingur River and the locations of various tribes.

The Ushkul Tribe

Upper Svanetia, cut off from civilization by mountains and glaciers.

Here converge two mountain ranges of the Caucasus.

Tvelhuld.

The clouds come from the sea and turn into shining, pure ice.

Through the slow-moving ice currents, the cold creeps down.

From the mist and ice are born the rivers.

One such river is the Ingur.

At its upper reaches lies...

Ushkul

Further down, where the currents are slower and the climate milder, lived the local barons.

Sole owners of this land's riches - until the October revolution.

The passage into the upper, free Svanetia is not easy.

Eight months of snow lie at its gates.

Behind the snowy pass stand the towers of Ushkul...

Strong towers of stone.

They are here for a reason.

Not too long ago they guarded this starving land....

...from the looting barons.

The barons hated the towers.

Friend or foe?

Have they come to collect more taxes from the starving villagers?

The towers are made ready.

The ancient pulleys creak under the pressure.

The tower is ready for battle.

In this way, they fought...

...and protected their freedom from the barons of the valley...

The great, all-enduring towers.

Cut off from the outside world, the Ushkul tribe can satisfy...

...only the most basic needs of its members.

Livestock - the lifeblood of Ushkul.

There are pastures, but very little milk, as salt is lacking.

The rich breed oxen for sacrifices.

The poor have neither livestock nor bread.

Down into the valley, looking for work.

Ushkul is a subsistence farming community.

From lamb wool...

...yarn is made.

Further down rumble the factories. Here, people weave with the help of machines...

...make their own clothing and...

...get their haircuts according to their own fashions.

From the wet wool they make...

...weave ropes...

...and connect villagers with bridges.

For the towers.

...for the roofs...

Without wheels.

They sleep on stone beds.

Stone is everywhere, even in death.

By the glaciers...

...lie the barley fields.

Only the barley can grow at the elevation of 1,800 meters.

JuIy 28th, 1 929. The day was hot.

Approaching...

...suddenIy...

Winter!

Summer betrayed the villagers.

The July snow covered all...

In snow and in sweat.

Save what you can.

The village is short-handed.

The strongest men have left to look for work.

The storm has passed...

...and it's summer again.

Those flint boards are used as thrashers.

Another way to use stone.

Another day of hard work.

Save the barley!

Harsh, bone-breaking labour.

Around and around...

Look out!

Save the manure for fertilizer!

Nature is harsh - the work is exhausting.

The work is exhausting - the way of life never changes.

Cut off from civilization, Ushkul needs salt.

Here, salt isn't a common commodity...

...it's like gold.

There's salt in sweat.

No salt...

SALT!

S-A-A-LT!

There's salt in urine.

Cut off from civilization, Ushkul is starving for salt.

The mountains that are white as salt stop the salt shipments from the valley.

There are no roads.

Driven by hunger from their own land...

...the poor people of Svanetia...

...the farmers and field workers...

...the workers from tangerine orchards...

...carry the salt back to their own land.

The salt of the earth.

From the factories, collective farms, highways.

The peopIe of Ushkul are waiting.

Waiting for their arrival.

Waiting with new hope.

Bleeding from exhaustion.

Waiting...

...anxiously.

Waiting for news...

In the stone walls of this savage land, religion still rules.

White smoke of mourning.

The funeral of a rich man is a ceremonial celebration.

The funeral of a poor man is only grief.

A birth during a funeral is considered unclean. The mother is exiled.

Friends and relatives: make donations in memory of the deceased!

Alone...an outcast.

Friends, pay homage: throw yourself into the grave!

For you, O Lord!

This stallion is yours.

Let the blood of this ox spill on the grave.

The horse is to be driven to death.

Bless the Lord who created the mountains of Svanetia.

Another Svan is born.

Water!!!

WATER!!!

In the name of the God of Svanetia...

...the Goddess of the valley...

...Saint IIIina...

...the horse's heart is about to burst.

The blood of Svanetia.

There's salt in blood.

Religion is feeding off Svanetia.

The sun rises...

...and sets...

...over the dead child.

Pregnancy is a curse in Ushkul.

And all because there are no roads.

We don't want to bear chiIdren!

Don't want to feed the soil with our milk!

Hear this, Svanetia!

Watch this, audience!

For the Svans --

- for communists -

-- there are no obstacIes.

Our economic plan...

...is stronger than religion and old customs.

They bring to Svanetia not a handful of salt...

They do not make a narrow path in the snow.

Thousands of Svans...

...come through...

...into the SOVIET SVANETIA!

BuiIding roads.

Of the 107 kilometers that Svanetia needs...

By the third year of the five year plan...

50 kilometers have been completed.

THE END

Music by Zoran Borisavljevic ~ Translation by Alexander Litvak Subtitles by MENiSCUS