Tangerines
Description
Georgian director Zaza Urushadze has crafted a gripping and perceptive antiwar tale set during the brutal 1992 Georgian-Abkhazian war. Taking the neutral viewpoint of one of the last remaining Estonians in the disputed Caucasus region—an old man played with a measured and sage force by Lembit Ulfsak—Tangerines observes the growing conflict from a tangerine orchard on a remote mountain. A sudden shootout between Georgian soldiers and Chechen mercenaries puts the old man Ivo in the strange and extremely tense position of nursing two wounded soldiers who are mortal enemies in his small house. Giorgi Nakashidze is tenacious and charismatic as the veteran Chechen soldier, while Raivo Trass is likable and a little odd as the young Georgian who fends off Nakashidze’s murderous threats. Gorgeously filmed in a mountainous coastal region of Georgia, Urushadze’s film is an astute and captivating history lesson about a little known conflict. Unexpected humor occasionally pops up as the tension builds, but the inevitable climax is intense, powerful and surprising. A strong and insightful film in any context, recent events in the Ukraine make Tangerines especially relevant today. –Gustavus Kundahl
Georgian director Zaza Urushadze graduated from the Georgia State University of Theatre and Film in 1988 and completed several short films before his feature debut Ak Tendeba (1998). His film The Guardian (2012) was the top box-office draw in Georgia, and Tangerines won the Best Director at the Warsaw Film Festival and Audience Awards at the Warsaw and Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festivals.
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/88480455?autoplay=1Film Details
Language Georgian, Abkhazian, Russian, Estonian
Original Language Title Mandariinid
Year 2013
Runtime 84
Country Estonia/Georgia
Director Zaza Urushadze
Producer Ivo Felt, Zaza Urushadze
Writer Zaza Urushadze
Editor Alexander Kuranov
Cinematographer Rein Kotov
Music Niaz Diasamidze
Cast Lembit Ulfsak, Raivo Trass, Giorgi Nakashidze
Print Source Cinemavault/ ryanlee@cinemavault.com/ www.cinemavault.com