Georgia: Sharon Stone Seducing the Nation

The most popular topic for discussion on social networks, as well as by the online and traditional media, this weekend was the premiere of Renny Harlin's movie about the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, called “5 Days of August.”

Not only was the director himself in town for the event, but so were the film's actors Andy Garcia, Dean Cain and others. However, the most important guest invited for the premiere was Hollywood actress Sharon Stone.

Flying in from Moscow where she attended the Muz.TV Awards, Stone arrived a day before the film crew who flew all the way from Los Angeles. Preparation and media coverage days before her arrival fed the online commentary [ka]:

უკვე რამდენიმე დღეა, რაც თბილისი შერონის ქალაქად ან “შერონსთაუნად” (“Sharon’s town“) არის ქცეული. ჩვენ შერონით ვსუნთქავთ, შერონით ვხედავთ, შერონით გვესმის და შერონით განვიცდით.

For several days Tbilisi has turned into “Sharonstown” (“Sharon’s town“). We breath with Sharon, see with Sharon, hear with her and feel with Sharon.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili even hosted the actress on her first night, introducing her to night views of Tbilisi from the Presidential Palace. The tour of his official residence also turned out to be fun for the host as well as the guest. Footage was widely aired on Georgian television and shared on social networks.

Before attending the premiere of Harlin's movie today, Stone even met with the country's spiritual leader, the Patriarch of Georgia, and was also spotted on the streets of old Tbilisi by many people.

@bicyclemark: Ran into Sharon Stone twice today on the streets of Tbilisi. We looked at each other for 2 seconds and then went back to being tourists.

@bicyclemark: right after she walked passed me some old american couple greeted her, shook her hand and side bye. hmm could have done that.

@lakobukia: I am gonna see Sharon Stone tonight, OMG I AM SOOOO EXCITED

@mziakupunia: Crowds gathered at Rustaveli cinema greeted Sharon Stone and Andy Garcia with loud cheers and applauds.

Meanwhile, a group of students gathered in front of the Radisson Blue hotel where the Hollywood stars were staying, protesting what they considered to be pompous arrangements for the premiere, holding posters reading “Basic instincts against basic values”, “Enough, give money to refugees,” and “Cheap propaganda is not art” in a less than veiled reference to criticism of Harlin's movie by some film critics. News agencies reported and Forum.ge picked the topic up with further discussion.

Doin.ge, whose extended post criticizes local media coverage [ka], also predicts that it will get worse after the Hollywood actress leaves Tbilisi:

“შერონის პირველი დღე თბილისში”, “შერონის მეორე დღე თბილისში”, “შერონი ქართულ რესტორანში”, “შერონმა წაუცეკვა”, “ჰოლივუდის ვარსკვლავს მშვიდობის ხიდი მოეწონა”, “შერონი მხარს უჭერს საქართველოს სუვერენიტეტს და ტერიტორიულ მთლიანობას”, “შერონი გმობს პუტინის ოკუპანტურ რეჟიმს”, “შერონი ჩაფრინდა და იწერება – კარგად ვარო”, “შერონს ქართული სუფრა ენატრება” და მრავალი.

“Sharon's first day in Tbilisi,” “Sharon's second day in Tbilisi,” “Sharon in Georgian restaurant,” “Sharon dancing,” “Hollywood star liked the new peace bridge,” “Sharon supports Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” “Sharon condemns Putin's occupational regime,” “Sharon flew back and says she feels good,” “Sharon is missing Georgian Supra” and many others.

Sharon Stone leaves Georgia on Monday.

Thumbnail image shows Sharon Stone, available via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0).

4 comments

  • J H

    These two ‘actors’ should be ashamed of themselves. They are supporting the aggressors in that war, the very people who caused the deaths of hundreds during that time and thousands more in the Georgian aggression towards Abkhazia in the 90’s.
    Shame on both of them.

    • LL

      Georgia has history as old as 25 centuries and it never has been an aggressor, Georgia was always invaded!! in 90’s thousands of Georgians were killed and force to leave their homes, in which mainly Russian military families live. Now judge yourself who is an aggressor!!!

  • ED

    Have you forgotten that there was an ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia?

    Hundreds of thousands of people were either killed or were forced out of their homes and land.

    These two actors are against War and Tyranny and I applaud them.

  • […] social media was perhaps better known for ridiculing opposition protesters in May or discussing the visit to Tbilisi by Sharon Stone and the appearance of a Georgian road sign in a Beyoncé […]

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