Grassroots Moviemaker: Georgia On My Mind
The dreams and survival of Rufus Rex star at risk in Georgian capital
By Timothy Rhys
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/blog/item/grassroots_moviemaker_georgia_on_my_mind_20080811/
I was about to file my next update on the progress of Rufus Rex, but some things transcend moviemaking, even for me…

Almost three years ago I got a letter from a 15-year-old girl named Anna Gurji who lived in the Republic of Georgia. She said that her father was a writer-director, her older sister was a director and that she herself had already appeared in a few films and commercials. Her constant, passionate dream was to become a professional actress and hopefully work in international productions. I wrote back and she stayed in touch, keeping me updated on her career progress. She landed more film roles and recently garnered serious acclaim for her performance in a Hungarian feature called Cinka Panna. In that film she plays the famous 18th-century gypsy primadonna whose “exceptionally interesting, colorful and emotionally strained life metaphorically points out the movie’s theme, which is the individual’s struggle for recognition and a place in the world.” That quote, which comes directly from the movie’s IMDb website entry, reminds me of Anna’s real-life role, not only as a young artist seeking “recognition and a place in the world,” but as a human being whose struggle just became more dire.