Multi-DN alum Lado Kvataniya returns to DN with his music video for Manizha’s GUN. It’s an ambitious video that shows two warring communities divided by a large, moveable concrete wall between their homes. Every day they each vie for more square footage through a battle of pure physical exertion, in what seems like a never-ending cycle. The reason we at DN keep coming back to Kvataniya’s work is twofold. Firstly, because of the eclecticism of the filmmaker’s work, on our pages alone he’s delved into the worlds of animation, horror and noir. But also because of the sheer visual scope of his creations. He’s a filmmaker guided by ambitious ideas who has repeatedly demonstrated his unwavering ability to realise them. DN spoke with Kvataniya once again, diving into the process behind GUN, covering the concepts of war and conflict that inspired its story and the technical challenges of creating a practically moveable wall inside an authentically realised set.
What were you drawing from when creating the concept of these two warring neighbours?
I created a small, compressed world to depict the madness that surrounds us globally. The story revolves around two neighbors separated by a wall, but the issue is much broader. According to various sources, 110 armed conflicts are currently happening worldwide. The idea emerged that behind this wall exists a bottomless well, like a portal connecting similar feuding rooms.
Originally, the plan was to end the story with the children walking toward the hole in the wall, leaving the viewer to imagine that the children are embarking on an endless journey through many rooms in the tunnel, seeking to reconcile and save the adults. However, the idea of creating a final collective portrait of the characters emerged spontaneously during the filming process. In the end, we see a collective portrait of all the inhabitants of both spaces, representing different ethnicities, cultures, and age groups. Nothing separates them any more; their faces are turned towards the viewer, and they are united. The ending is, of course, a fairy tale. In reality, no adult will stop the madness they commit. But children don’t see the wall; they look through it and see each other. They unite to neutralize the conflict without dividing by skin color, nationality, religion, or identity. We should learn this from children.
Once you had this concept in place, where did you head next with regards to the practicalities of realising it?
The process of bringing an idea from paper into the real world is a monstrous, gruelling labor for me. In this story, I challenged myself to create within the constraints of a single space, with a moving wall as the central element. The budget for the video was limited. Once the script was ready, I contacted my longtime partners, Daddy’s Film and Stereotactic, with whom we had previously collaborated on the music video for Mgzavrebi’s Waltz. Later, the Berlin production company Eversince joined us. Any project like this involves a close, almost intimate collaboration. People reveal their true selves most vividly in stressful situations. There is no better way to get to know someone than by facing challenges together.
I challenged myself to create within the constraints of a single space, with a moving wall as the central element.
As we sketched the rooms, the Production Designer Alexey Yandovskiy and I realized each room was a unique space for specific people. We were keen to integrate characteristics of different cultures into the space, ensuring it felt timeless and rich in cultural diversity. To develop the dimensions of the space, we used a low-budget method for marking. We found a space the same size as our two feuding rooms and marked it with tape and cones to understand how the space would work. This helped us determine the right wall dimensions and ceiling height. We then created a wall model out of foam to visualize how it would look to scale. After that, we designed a heavy structure on two rails, one on the floor and one above, to minimize post-production cleanup later.
And in terms of what the rooms themselves would look like, how were you looking to approach the production design?
Atmosphere is crucial for both actors and the entire crew. We decided to create a visual collage that would resemble a dormitory for the different peoples of the world, with no repeating elements. For example, one part of the room featured Gothic cathedral arches, while another part incorporated window shapes and stained glass reminiscent of Eastern culture. On the walls, we displayed images of wars generated by a neural network, referencing modern military conflicts and events from thousands of years ago. Though we didn’t provide close-ups or many other details, it was essential for us to create an atmosphere where, upon entering the set, the actors and crew could see the detailed fullness of the space.
It was important to create a wall structure that the actors could genuinely push from both sides with real effort. I wanted to build a tool that would allow the actors to engage their emotions by physically interacting with the wall obstacle. When a group of ten actors pushed the wall from one side while being filmed, more than 20 people, including set designers and crew members, moved the set from the other side with great effort to create resistance, compressing the actors. This is when the actual performance and confrontation began on camera. I needed to achieve a genuine sense of exhaustion. I admit that I did multiple takes to make sure the actors genuinely wore themselves out. They would stop ‘acting’ and, completely exhausted, would push against the wall. Shifting this boundary was a physically demanding task, and it was important to show that through the characters. They put in their maximum effort, displaying every bit of their strength on screen.
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It’s interesting because it’s a video that shows a conflict through physical exertion but without violence.
Despite my love for dark aesthetics, in GUN, I wanted to avoid darkness, blood, and explicit violence as much as possible. This decision was partly practical, we aimed to ensure that the work would have no age restrictions, allowing as many people of all ages to watch it.
There’s a clear interest in the light and colour of these rooms, did they play a part in that avoidance of a darker aesthetic?
Me and our Director of Photography Vladimir Ushakov endlessly discussed films, searched for the proper visual flow and optics, and conducted numerous tests. Given the grim nature of the theme, at one point, we discussed filming the story in black and white. However, we realized that, against the backdrop of such a dark and violent context, black-and-white imagery would become redundant. So, we opted for a counterpoint: the visuals had to be bright, saturated, and filled with light and color.
The entire visual approach was built around the idea of misleading the viewer slightly so that the ending, with its contrast, would have a more substantial impact. For example, we initially planned for the sun to shine the same way through the windows in both rooms. Then we realized that this contradicted the concept. These rooms are not literally adjacent; they could be from opposite ends of the world and the time within them could differ. So, we installed two separate light sources: in one room, the sun shone in one direction, and in the other, it shone in the opposite direction. This way, we disorient the viewer, offering one of many subtle clues.
Did you use any specific lenses to capture the light in that way?
We used Petzval portrait lenses for close-up shots, a stunning type of lens! It defocuses the space, making any light appear more pronounced and expressive. These lenses created a strong blur, which perfectly conveyed the emotional state and fatigue of the characters. For more objective storytelling, such as depicting the wall’s perspective or specific actions, we used a static camera and a super-wide Signature Prime lens to show the space as stretched, sharp, distorted, and deliberately exaggerated in size.
It was also essential that we weren’t speaking about a specific conflict, we were addressing the many wars happening simultaneously worldwide.
How was it sourcing such a diverse cast of actors?
It was crucial to achieve a diverse, multinational character palette in GUN’s casting. It was also essential that we weren’t speaking about a specific conflict, we were addressing the many wars happening simultaneously worldwide. My Casting Directors Margo Sayapina and Uliana Evdokimova and I strive to involve non-professional actors in every project. Over the years, we’ve been collecting a database of unique characters, and whenever we need distinct textures or features, we turn to it. For me, it is crucial to find authentic individuals with a personal story reflected in their texture. Observing such people and imagining the backstory behind each character is fascinating, as viewers immediately begin making associations.
Additionally, I must mention our two incredible leads, Actors Stepan Shevyakov and Alina Viktorova, two true talents. After we settled on the dimensions and details of the space, we realized that we needed rehearsals with the actors to observe the overall movement within the frame. This was essentially an ensemble, choreographic story. We wanted each character to interact with the wall in a unique way, displaying their own distinct movement and character.
How were those distinct movements defined and then embodied by the individual cast members?
At the Stereotactic studio, our Choreographer Alexandr Tronov conducted several rehearsals, helping each actor find their form of resistance. Pushing the wall could be done in various ways: with hands, head, heels, jumping, or even crawling and pushing with different body parts. For example, one of our actors, a former professional fighter, used his entire force to hit the wall with his head and feet. There was an actress with an exciting, feminine movement style, and we allowed her almost to make love to the wall, as it suited her organically.
When you’re on take 20, no one wants to move gracefully any more. The actors internalize the movement, but exhaustion takes its toll, and their bodies start to move beyond clichés. They begin improvising and acting with genuine conviction. As a result, each group of actors appears as a single, living organism, constantly shifting positions and emotions. The most exciting moments occurred after the initial shouting, when the person had exhausted all of their immediate reactions. At that point, when they didn’t know what to do next, the magic happened: their true nature and feelings emerged, revealing something authentic and precious that lies deep within. Many of these improvisations made it into the final cut.
What went into the costume design of each of your actors? How do you collaborate with your costume designer?
In our collaboration with Costume Designer Anna Kudevich to develop the characters, we engage in conversations about context, theme, and image but refrain from discussing the specific costumes themselves. While working on GUN, we frequently shared photos of refugees. We aimed to gather patches from different ethnicities and time periods to ensure that the costumes referenced a particular theme while also creating a contradiction. These elements couldn’t blend seamlessly in a single costume or frame. Anna gathered a wide variety of costumes and led an amazing fitting session. It was important to not only determine where the person was from and their past but also to create a feeling of disorientation and timelessness. We wanted viewers to see our characters and not immediately pinpoint a specific military conflict or its participants based on ethnicity and external details, allowing each person to interpret the context in their own way.
When they didn’t know what to do next, the magic happened: their true nature and feelings emerged, revealing something authentic and precious that lies deep within.
It’s important to mention that the pavilion where we worked had technical issues and was not ventilated. As a result, the crew worked in stifling heat of around 95°F for three days straight. After several takes, we would send the actors outside to catch their breath, but it was even hotter at around 105°F. Therefore, makeup artists barely used glycerin for sweat, the actors’ exhausted state and physical limits were authentic. The air in the pavilion was literally stagnant, and we consumed an incredible amount of water. I think every member of the crew lost several pounds in that near-fainting, sauna-like environment where we worked for three days.
Have you had any chance yet to reflect on creating such an ambitious video?
As we captured the last shot on the final day of filming, I finally allowed myself to savour the moment. I told myself, “Now I can stop and look around.” I confess that the final shot was captured on the first take. However, I intentionally continued to shoot take after take, simply to be in the moment with these people and to feel and remember the true joy of creativity, especially after a long period of worldwide war conflicts.
Manizha and I were worried that we might inadvertently create a precedent for conflict, mutual attacks, and accusations, resulting in an endless cycle of hatred. Luckily, we managed to create a space where viewers could come together. GUN has had a positive impact. We received numerous comments, messages, and letters. Ultimately, our work briefly brought together opposing sides. While watching our work, people may have momentarily forgotten their hatred and personal traumas or had a chance to reflect on them, possibly letting go for a moment. No matter where people come from, they all want the same thing, to end hostility, violence, and suffering. I believe that creativity is synonymous with freedom. I am not here to judge the result of our work, but we were definitely free in our message: the world needs peace.
To wrap up, is there anything you can tell us about any upcoming projects you’re working on currently?
This question arose last year when we presented Mgzavrebi’s Waltz on Directors Notes. At that time, I mentioned that I had begun working on a full-length Georgian film. The script is in the third draft stage, and we are nearing its completion. There is another international feature project, and its script is in the second draft stage. Writing a script is a long journey, typically taking one to two years at best. It requires tremendous patience, which I don’t possess but am trying to cultivate in myself.
