Tangerines
Short description
Set during the 1992 war in Abkhazia, Tangerines centres on Ivo, an Estonian farmer who has remained in his nearly deserted village to bring in the tangerine harvest rather than join the other settlers leaving the region. His neighbour Margus also stays, though he intends to go once the crop is gathered. When fighting reaches the village, two wounded soldiers from opposing sides are left at Ivo's home, and he takes them in and tends to them, even as they remain enemies.
Directed and written by Zaza Urushadze, who also produced with Ivo Felt, the film is an Estonian-Georgian co-production released in 2013 and running 87 minutes. Lembit Ulfsak plays Ivo, with Elmo Nüganen as Margus, Giorgi Nakashidze and Misha Meskhi as the two soldiers, and Raivo Trass and Zura Begalishvili in supporting roles.
Audiences rate the film highly, with an 8.1 rating on IMDb from around 52,000 votes and 7.7 on TMDB, while its critics' rating stands at 7.3 from 64 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- Georgy Nakashidze, who plays the role of a Chechen named Akhmed, is actually Georgian.
- The film is dedicated to Levan Abashidze, a well-known Soviet and Georgian actor who died in the war with Abkhazia.
- It took two weeks to write the film's screenplay.
- When preparing for his first film shoot, Lembit Ulfsak asked for leave from the theater, packed his things, and got ready to leave, only to learn that the start of filming was postponed due to financial difficulties. Later, the actor recounted that it was extremely awkward for him to ask for leave from the theater a second time.
- There are no women in the film.
- Estonia submitted the film "Mandarins" (2013) for the "Oscar" in the "Best Foreign Language Film" category in 2015.
- The first Estonian-produced (co-produced with Georgia) feature film to be nominated for an "Oscar".
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