Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 19 (PTI) Acclaimed Georgian filmmaker Nana Jorjadze on Thursday said she always weaved "something magical" in her films as she liked 'magical realism' in literature and movies.

"Sometimes, I feel my imagination is more real than real life. Even in my documentaries, I have tried to find something magical while shooting real things," Jorjadze said at an interaction session on the sidelines of the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK 24) here.

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The director, who is a jury member for the competition section of the IFFK, said she often "cannot find a border between imagination and real life".

Most of her films were autobiographical in the sense that she had taken the experiences of her grandparents, parents and herself.

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She explained that the closed Soviet political system initially "denied" her the opportunity to study film, as Georgia lacked a film institute at the time, leading her to study architecture instead.

The film academies came later when she switched to her favourite field.

Referring to the political conflict in her country "still facing aggression" from Russia, she said Georgia had "always upheld its tradition".

"Political situations, politicians will come and go, but our country, culture, good food and our hopes will last," she said.

She said cinema is not merely her profession, but a style of life. “I want to be among films every minute of my life,” Jorjadze said.

“I play a role in a film when a director asks me to do so, make my film, sometimes produce documentaries and short films, and if not all these I am a set designer or costume designer,” she said.

She said traditionally Georgia's contacts and conversations were always with European countries. They had felt as part of the European Union.

However, the Georgians have a problem with their present government which they think is a 'mafia' tilted towards Russia.

"They look for money and money comes from Russia," she said, adding the country is "on the brink of an attack anytime".

Jorjadze said she narrates the tragedy of her country in her films. Stalin, who was from Georgia, had killed more intellectuals from his own country to be more ‘Russian' among the Soviet leaders, she said.

Jorjadze said the present situation is that 30 per cent of our territory "is still occupied by Russia", who want to bring back the Soviet system.

"This is our reality until today," she said.

Jorjadze's film, ‘My English Grandfather' (1987) had won Camera d'Or at the Cannes festival and ‘Chef in Love' (1996) was nominated for an Academy award for best foreign language film. Her other notable works include '27 Missing Kisses (2000) and ‘The Rainbow Maker' (2008).

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