Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
@xkuenning.bsky.social
Editor at OC Media and Editor-in-Chief at Lossi 36 | Obsessed with tea, fairytales, and international affairs
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
🎶 OC REVIEWS: Chapsh’s debut album has everything: it’s moody, energetic, and authentic, deriving inspiration from ancient Circassian healing rituals.
oc-media.org/review-shaps...
oc-media.org/review-shaps...
Review | Shapshe — thoughtful, energetic, and fun Circassian folk music
Chapsh’s debut album has everything: it’s moody, energetic, and authentic, deriving inspiration from ancient healing rituals.
oc-media.org
September 2, 2025 at 1:13 PM
🎶 OC REVIEWS: Chapsh’s debut album has everything: it’s moody, energetic, and authentic, deriving inspiration from ancient Circassian healing rituals.
oc-media.org/review-shaps...
oc-media.org/review-shaps...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
🎬Three short films from 2024 were recently screened at WineCast in Mukhrani, Georgia.
From a local take on an acid Western to a revenge film shot entirely through a car windshield, they show how varied Georgia’s cinema is.
oc-media.org/review-explo...
From a local take on an acid Western to a revenge film shot entirely through a car windshield, they show how varied Georgia’s cinema is.
oc-media.org/review-explo...
Review | Exploring three recent Georgian shorts from across genres at WineCast 2025
From a local take on an acid Western to a revenge film shot entirely through a car windshield, these shorts show how varied Georgia’s cinema is.
oc-media.org
September 1, 2025 at 11:14 AM
🎬Three short films from 2024 were recently screened at WineCast in Mukhrani, Georgia.
From a local take on an acid Western to a revenge film shot entirely through a car windshield, they show how varied Georgia’s cinema is.
oc-media.org/review-explo...
From a local take on an acid Western to a revenge film shot entirely through a car windshield, they show how varied Georgia’s cinema is.
oc-media.org/review-explo...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Grateful to @ocmedia.bsky.social for publishing @xkuenning.bsky.social's thoughtful, perceptive review of #AkramAylisli's "People and Trees." Translating this marvelous book was a labor of love--so glad to see it getting some well-deserved attention! oc-media.org/review-peopl...
Review | People and Trees: A Trilogy — exploring boyhood in rural Soviet Azerbaijan
A collection of three novellas, People and Trees encapsulates the experiences of a boy growing up in post-World War II Azerbaijan.
oc-media.org
August 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Grateful to @ocmedia.bsky.social for publishing @xkuenning.bsky.social's thoughtful, perceptive review of #AkramAylisli's "People and Trees." Translating this marvelous book was a labor of love--so glad to see it getting some well-deserved attention! oc-media.org/review-peopl...
To mark Georgian director Eldar Shengelaia's recent passing, @ocmedia.bsky.social is reviewing some of his most famous films, all of which are available with English subtitles. To start, his 1963 exploration of the age-old conflict between tradition and modernity:
oc-media.org/review-the-w...
oc-media.org/review-the-w...
Review | The White Caravan — Georgian pastoralism clashes with modernity
Eldar Shengelaia’s 1963 film is a visually alluring and emotional exploration of the age-old conflict between tradition and modernity.
oc-media.org
August 11, 2025 at 1:06 PM
To mark Georgian director Eldar Shengelaia's recent passing, @ocmedia.bsky.social is reviewing some of his most famous films, all of which are available with English subtitles. To start, his 1963 exploration of the age-old conflict between tradition and modernity:
oc-media.org/review-the-w...
oc-media.org/review-the-w...
I had a lot of fun collecting opinions from my colleagues @ocmedia.bsky.social on Eurovision 2025 and the three South Caucasus entries. Have a read here:
oc-media.org/oc-media-tea...
oc-media.org/oc-media-tea...
OC Media team ranks South Caucasus Eurovision 2025 songs
Ahead of Eurovision 2025, we asked our staff to give their opinions and predictions of all three South Caucasus entries.
oc-media.org
May 12, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I had a lot of fun collecting opinions from my colleagues @ocmedia.bsky.social on Eurovision 2025 and the three South Caucasus entries. Have a read here:
oc-media.org/oc-media-tea...
oc-media.org/oc-media-tea...
Elene Mikaberidze’s first full-length documentary is a warm, funny, yet bittersweet slice of life — my latest review for @ocmedia.bsky.social
Check out this heartfelt Georgian film on @klassiki.bsky.social as part of the ongoing goEast Film Festival!
oc-media.org/review-blueb...
Check out this heartfelt Georgian film on @klassiki.bsky.social as part of the ongoing goEast Film Festival!
oc-media.org/review-blueb...
Review | Blueberry Dreams — A contemplative look at the dreams and struggles of a Georgian family
Elene Mikaberidze’s first full-length documentary is a warm, funny, yet bittersweet slice of life.
oc-media.org
April 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Elene Mikaberidze’s first full-length documentary is a warm, funny, yet bittersweet slice of life — my latest review for @ocmedia.bsky.social
Check out this heartfelt Georgian film on @klassiki.bsky.social as part of the ongoing goEast Film Festival!
oc-media.org/review-blueb...
Check out this heartfelt Georgian film on @klassiki.bsky.social as part of the ongoing goEast Film Festival!
oc-media.org/review-blueb...
The third @ocmedia.bsky.social Culture Dispatch will be out tomorrow, focusing on regional Easter traditions, a hauntingly beautiful film on the Armenian Genocide, and celebratory synths. Sign up below!
oc-media.org/pages/oc-cul...
oc-media.org/pages/oc-cul...
April 18, 2025 at 1:13 PM
The third @ocmedia.bsky.social Culture Dispatch will be out tomorrow, focusing on regional Easter traditions, a hauntingly beautiful film on the Armenian Genocide, and celebratory synths. Sign up below!
oc-media.org/pages/oc-cul...
oc-media.org/pages/oc-cul...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Protesters met outside parliament in Tbilisi to mark 9 April 1989, when Soviet troops killed 21 and injured hundreds. Families of protesters recently detained spent the night there, after which minor clashes broke out between demonstrators and ruling party supporters.
April 9, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Protesters met outside parliament in Tbilisi to mark 9 April 1989, when Soviet troops killed 21 and injured hundreds. Families of protesters recently detained spent the night there, after which minor clashes broke out between demonstrators and ruling party supporters.
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
The ruling Georgian Dream party has begun to consider an amendment to the Law on Grants, which would include a new article regulating the procedure for issuing grants by foreign donors.
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
Georgian Dream initiates new legislation to regulate the issuing of grants by foreign donors
Georgian Dream and its satellites have long criticised foreign donors for supporting civil society and media.
oc-media.org
April 8, 2025 at 1:35 PM
The ruling Georgian Dream party has begun to consider an amendment to the Law on Grants, which would include a new article regulating the procedure for issuing grants by foreign donors.
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
📚 OC Review: Armen Davoudian’s debut poetry collection, The Palace of Forty Pillars, is a powerful narrative of queerness, exile, and memory — spanning Armenian, Iranian, and American history.
oc-media.org/review-the-p...
oc-media.org/review-the-p...
Review | The Palace of Forty Pillars — an impressive poetic debut from the Armenian–Iranian Diaspora
Armen Davoudian’s debut — taking the reader through Armenian, Iranian, and American history — is a beautiful personal narrative on change and loss.
oc-media.org
April 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
📚 OC Review: Armen Davoudian’s debut poetry collection, The Palace of Forty Pillars, is a powerful narrative of queerness, exile, and memory — spanning Armenian, Iranian, and American history.
oc-media.org/review-the-p...
oc-media.org/review-the-p...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
📚 OC Reviews: 1978 — The Struggle for the Status of the Georgian Language: Oral Histories
oc-media.org/review-1978-...
oc-media.org/review-1978-...
Review | 1978 — The Struggle for the Status of the Georgian Language: Oral Histories
While an interesting collection of oral histories, this compilation struggles to do too much at once, becoming disjointed in the process.
oc-media.org
April 6, 2025 at 6:42 AM
📚 OC Reviews: 1978 — The Struggle for the Status of the Georgian Language: Oral Histories
oc-media.org/review-1978-...
oc-media.org/review-1978-...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Georgian Dream has proposed legislative changes that would allow the banning of political parties if they are deemed similar to previously banned parties. The ruling party initiated these changes amid its threats to ban the currently existing opposition groups.
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
Georgian Dream vows to amend law to ban new and future opposition parties
Banning the political opposition was one of the ruling party’s pre-election promises for 2024.
oc-media.org
April 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Georgian Dream has proposed legislative changes that would allow the banning of political parties if they are deemed similar to previously banned parties. The ruling party initiated these changes amid its threats to ban the currently existing opposition groups.
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
oc-media.org/georgian-dre...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Erdoğan steals video of Georgian protests to accuse Turkish opposition of ‘vandalism’. The video includes footage where the parliament building in Tbilisi is clearly visible.
Read more: oc-media.org/erdogan-pres...
Read more: oc-media.org/erdogan-pres...
March 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Erdoğan steals video of Georgian protests to accuse Turkish opposition of ‘vandalism’. The video includes footage where the parliament building in Tbilisi is clearly visible.
Read more: oc-media.org/erdogan-pres...
Read more: oc-media.org/erdogan-pres...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
🎵 OC reviews: Natalie Beridze’s 'Street Life’ turns Georgia’s protests into an oppressive soundscape, capturing both the exhaustion and resolve of a movement. Built from real protest sounds, it’s a haunting, Lynchian memoir of resistance.
oc-media.org/review-stree...
oc-media.org/review-stree...
Review | Street Life — the cold drone of Georgia’s long winter protest
Natalie Beridze’s Street Life turns Georgia’s protests into an oppressive soundscape, capturing both the exhaustion and resolve of a movement.
oc-media.org
March 28, 2025 at 9:37 AM
🎵 OC reviews: Natalie Beridze’s 'Street Life’ turns Georgia’s protests into an oppressive soundscape, capturing both the exhaustion and resolve of a movement. Built from real protest sounds, it’s a haunting, Lynchian memoir of resistance.
oc-media.org/review-stree...
oc-media.org/review-stree...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
On Wednesday, the Armenian Parliament adopted a bill that calls on the government to seek EU integration in its second and final hearing. The bill was passed with 64 votes in favour and 7 against. This is how Armenian MEP's reacted to its passage:
oc-media.org/the-armenian...
oc-media.org/the-armenian...
The Armenian Parliament adopts a bill seeking EU accession
The bill was backed by the Armenian government in January.
oc-media.org
March 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM
On Wednesday, the Armenian Parliament adopted a bill that calls on the government to seek EU integration in its second and final hearing. The bill was passed with 64 votes in favour and 7 against. This is how Armenian MEP's reacted to its passage:
oc-media.org/the-armenian...
oc-media.org/the-armenian...
Excited to announce that @ocmedia.bsky.social is launching a new review section, covering cinema, literature, and music throughout the Caucasus. Check out my first review — ‘Hard by a Great Forest’ by Leo Vardiashvili — below!
oc-media.org/review-hard-...
oc-media.org/review-hard-...
Review | Hard by a Great Forest — a compelling tale of a Georgian homecoming
Leo Vardiashvili’s debut novel weaves a compelling tale of homecoming, guilt, and loss, all set against the surreal backdrop of a mass zoo escape.
oc-media.org
March 22, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Excited to announce that @ocmedia.bsky.social is launching a new review section, covering cinema, literature, and music throughout the Caucasus. Check out my first review — ‘Hard by a Great Forest’ by Leo Vardiashvili — below!
oc-media.org/review-hard-...
oc-media.org/review-hard-...
📢 Do you have a background in journalism or nonprofits? Are you interested in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, or the Caucasus? Lossi 36 is looking for board members to help grow our organisation.
🔗 Application and details can be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
🔗 Application and details can be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
January 3, 2025 at 10:10 AM
📢 Do you have a background in journalism or nonprofits? Are you interested in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, or the Caucasus? Lossi 36 is looking for board members to help grow our organisation.
🔗 Application and details can be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
🔗 Application and details can be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
As the year comes to an end, the team behind Lossi 36 has come together to share their recommendations for books, albums, and movies on Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
🔗 Read the reviews here: lossi36.com/2024/12/30/e...
🔗 Read the reviews here: lossi36.com/2024/12/30/e...
Editor's choice 2024: A round-up of recommendations from the team behind Lossi 36 - Lossi 36
The team behind Lossi 36 shares with you their favourite recommendations of books, podcasts, and movies covering all of Lossi's regions.
lossi36.com
December 31, 2024 at 11:19 AM
As the year comes to an end, the team behind Lossi 36 has come together to share their recommendations for books, albums, and movies on Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
🔗 Read the reviews here: lossi36.com/2024/12/30/e...
🔗 Read the reviews here: lossi36.com/2024/12/30/e...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
PM Irakli Kobakhidze has congratulated Mikheil Kavelashvili on being elected President of Georgia, noting that under his leadership 'the institution of the president will return to its constitutional mission and regain its dignity'.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
December 14, 2024 at 4:42 PM
PM Irakli Kobakhidze has congratulated Mikheil Kavelashvili on being elected President of Georgia, noting that under his leadership 'the institution of the president will return to its constitutional mission and regain its dignity'.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Local residents of Zugdidi, in Georgia’s western region of Samegrelo, gathered outside the Governor’s Office followed by a march for a consecutive day of anti-government protests.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🎥 Odishi TV
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🎥 Odishi TV
December 14, 2024 at 5:37 PM
Local residents of Zugdidi, in Georgia’s western region of Samegrelo, gathered outside the Governor’s Office followed by a march for a consecutive day of anti-government protests.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🎥 Odishi TV
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🎥 Odishi TV
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Demonstrators in Batumi have made a Christmas tree decorated with photos of protesters and journalists visibly injured during recent rallies as well as a caricatured image of President-elect Mikheil Kavelashvili
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Archil Kakhadze
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Archil Kakhadze
December 14, 2024 at 5:56 PM
Demonstrators in Batumi have made a Christmas tree decorated with photos of protesters and journalists visibly injured during recent rallies as well as a caricatured image of President-elect Mikheil Kavelashvili
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Archil Kakhadze
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Archil Kakhadze
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
A group of Georgians have held a protest outside the Georgian consulate in Frankfurt today, condemning the consulate staff’s silence on election irregularities.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Tako Urushadze
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Tako Urushadze
December 14, 2024 at 6:09 PM
A group of Georgians have held a protest outside the Georgian consulate in Frankfurt today, condemning the consulate staff’s silence on election irregularities.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Tako Urushadze
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
📷 Tako Urushadze
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Students have gathered in Kutaisi demanding new elections and the release of ‘regime prisoners’. The students plan to march through the city streets where they will join protesters gathered outside the local government building at 17:00.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
December 7, 2024 at 12:02 PM
Students have gathered in Kutaisi demanding new elections and the release of ‘regime prisoners’. The students plan to march through the city streets where they will join protesters gathered outside the local government building at 17:00.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
According to Batumelebi, thousands of people are holding a protest rally in support of those detained during the demonstrations against the government’s EU U-turn.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
December 7, 2024 at 2:53 PM
According to Batumelebi, thousands of people are holding a protest rally in support of those detained during the demonstrations against the government’s EU U-turn.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
Reposted by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
Representatives from several religious minority groups have joined the ongoing protest in Tbilisi after marching to the Parliament building with a banner reading ‘Together for Real Peace’.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
December 7, 2024 at 5:10 PM
Representatives from several religious minority groups have joined the ongoing protest in Tbilisi after marching to the Parliament building with a banner reading ‘Together for Real Peace’.
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...
🔴 Live updates: oc-media.org/georgia-live...