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Tangerines (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Tangerines' ( 'Mandarinebi', ) is a 2013 Estonian-Georgian film directed, produced and written by Zaza Urushadze. Set during the 19921993 War in Abkhazia, the film is a morality tale addressing issues of conflict, reconciliation and pacifism.[http://news.err.ee/v/Culture/97714097-fae0-4016-b166-c9a74c5fb8ee "Review: Estonians as Conflict Mediators in 'Tangerines'"] news.err.ee, 11 November 2013[http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/warsaw-2013-review-tangerines-an-engrossing-morality-tale-thats-also-a-lot-of-fun.html "Warsaw 2013 Review: Tangerines, An Engrossing Morality Tale That's Also A Lot Of Fun"] It was filmed in Guria, Georgia.
It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards and was among the five nominated films at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.[http://www.dickclark.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/72nd-Annual-Golden-Globes-Nominations.pdf "72ND Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominees Announced"]. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
Plot
In a rural village of ethnic Estonians in Abkhazia, a Russian-backed separatist region in the newly independent Georgia, Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) and his friend Margus (Elmo Nganen) are the only two of their once large community who have not fled for Estonia after the outbreak of the war. Margus has delayed leaving until he can harvest his lucrative tangerine crop. Ivo, a carpenter, is attempting to make enough wooden crates to hold all the unpicked tangerines, but doesn't reveal his reasons for staying.
Two Chechen mercenaries fighting alongside the Abkhaz separatists show up and demand food from Ivo before leaving peacefully. However, they get into a firefight with Georgian soldiers in front of Margus' house, leaving only one alive from each side. Ahmed (Giorgi Nakashidze), the surviving Chechen, and Nika (Mikheil Meskhi), a Georgian volunteer, are both gravely wounded, and Ivo brings them into his home to nurse them back to health.
While both vow to kill each other once they have the strength, Ivo secures a pledge from each to not enact any vengeance under his roof. A great deal of tension ensues between the two enemies as they begin to recover over many days in the same tiny house. Slowly, the two begin to recognize the humanity and honor in each other. Under the moral tutelage of the senior and wise Ivo, the two move from hatred and antagonism, to respect and camaraderie.
When Abkhaz soldiers come to the house, Ivo convinces Ahmed to tell them that Nika is also a fellow Chechen, but whose head wound has left him unable to speak.
After a local military patrol fails to show to harvest the tangerines as planned, Margus is desperate. The Abkhaz soldiers, having set up camp nearby, promise to help harvest the tangerines in two days. That night, however, shelling hits the village, destroying Margus' property. Ahmed offers Margus a large wad of cash that he has made from being a mercenary, but Margus refuses money "made like that".
Russian Ground Forces troops allied to the Abkhaz and Chechens later drive up to Ivo's house, finding Ahmed and Margus outside, and falsely accuse Ahmed of being Georgian. They are about to execute him when Nika shoots them from the house with a rifle. In the firefight, Margus is killed by Russian gunfire. Ahmed and Nika partner to fight the Russians, but Nika is shot dead by a wounded Russian before Ahmed finishes off Nika's killer.
Ivo and Ahmed bury Margus and Nika. Ivo reveals that Nika's body lies next to that of his own son, who was killed when the war broke out in August 1992. Ivo tells Ahmed that if he had died instead of Nika, Ivo would have buried Ahmed next to his son as well. Ahmed tells Ivo that he misses his own family, and begins his drive home to a Chechnya that will be plunged into a similar bloody war less than two years later. He listens to a cassette tape of Georgian music that belonged to Nika.
Cast
* Lembit Ulfsak as Ivo, an elderly Estonian farmer living in Abkhazia. He is a hawk-faced older fellow, who never hesitates; he instantly helps others, regardless of their "side" in this misery.
* Giorgi Nakashidze as Ahmed, a wounded Chechen soldier, slightly wounded but eager to "kill that scumbag in the next room!" Ivo eventually gets him to promise not to kill Nika unless he steps outside the house.
* Elmo Nganen as Margus, a friend of Ivo, another Estonian farmer, with a tangerine orchard. He wants to make this sale so he can join his family in Estonia.
* Mikheil (Misha) Meskhi as Nika, a wounded Georgian soldier and an ethnic Christian with shrapnel in his head. His hatred for Ahmed is every bit as venomous.
Critical reception
The film received an 88% rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 66 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "'Tangerines' impassioned message and the strong work of a solid cast more than make up for the movie's flawed narrative and uneven structure." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
According to the film critic Anthony D'Alessandro, Nganen drew a parallel to the 2014 Ukraine-Russia Conflict.
Accolades
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Date of ceromoney
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient(s)
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
| Academy Awards
| 22 February 2015
| Best Foreign Language Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Gaud Awards
| 31 January 2016
| Best European Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Bari International Film Festival
| 12 April 2014
| Best Picture
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.bifest.it/en Bari International Film Festival 2014]
|-
| rowspan="2" |Fajr International Film Festival
| rowspan="2" |4 February 2014
| The Crystal Simorgh for Best Screenplay
| Zaza Urushadze
|
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |[http://www.fajrfilmfestival.com/?p=shownewsen&nwdid=494&cache=false "32nd Fajr International Film Festival 2014"]
|-
| The Crystal Phoenix for Best Picture
| Zaza Urushadze and Ivo Felt
|
|-
| Golden Globe Awards
| 11 January 2015
| Best Foreign Language Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| rowspan="2" |International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
| rowspan="2" | 10 November 2013
| Audience Award
| 'Tangerines'
|
|
|-
| Special Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg
| 'Tangerines'
|
|
|-
| Jerusalem Film Festival
| 19 July 2014
| In the Spirit of Freedom Awards in Memory of Wim van Leer
| Zaza Urushadze and 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Satellite Awards
| 15 February 2015
| Best Foreign Language Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
| 30 November 2013
| Best Estonian Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| War on Screen
| 5 October 2014
| Jury Grand Prix
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;"|[http://waronscreen.com/edition-2014/palmares/&lang=en "War on Screen 2014"]
|-
| rowspan="2" |Warsaw International Film Festival
| rowspan="2" |20 November 2013
| Audience Award: Best Feature Film
| 'Tangerines'
|
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |
|-
| Best Director Award
| Zaza Urushadze
|
|}
See also
*List of submissions to the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
*List of Estonian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
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