NEGATIVE NUMBERS

"The rules are simple here: you're either with them or you're screwed"

- The highly developed Georgian roots of the "vori v zakone" (thieves in law) criminal culture -

born in the prisons of the USSR and -enduring far beyond the fall of communism

- are placed centre stage, courtesy of Negative Numbers, the first feature film by Uta Beria,

unveiled in a world premiere, in competition, at the 20^th Arras Film Festival.

Based on real events that occurred in early aughts Georgia, Tbilisi.

The post Soviet country after 10 years or so of independence,

had devolved into a 'thief-in-law' (vori v zakone) culture,

a hangover from the days of the past.

This culture led to huge growth in well organized crime

being run by clans of families across the city running ghettos in different neighborhoods,

which resulted in a 'zero tolerance' policy being implemented by the then president.

Many young men were being locked up,

some of them sentenced to 10 years for the crime of breaking a window.

The system that was put in place resulted in over 10,000 juveniles being locked up.

Two former rugby stars took action to remedy this situation, with the aid of UNICEF and the United Nations took rugby training to these young inmates. Our story is in one of these prisons, stories that were written down from actual inmates accounts and adapted for this film.

Produced by Georgian outfit Magnet Film and Alief alongside Italian group 39Films and French firm Wide, and with the support of Eurimages, CNC