Educational Media Reviews Online

This film is a remarkable co-production work between Estonia and Georgia, the two former Soviet Republics with uneasy relations with their big neighbor, Russia. The film is nested within war in Abkhazia (1992-3), the separatist region of Georgia and promises to provide multiple perspectives on the complex geopolitical case in the Caucasus through its main characters: an old ethnically Estonian Abkhazian local resident who takes care of his tangerine orchard (hence the title of the film) and another personal reason that is not revealed until the very end of the film; a Georgian former actor turned fighter with Abkhazian separatists, and a Chechen fighter who was hired to fight with Georgia. Additionally, Russia is represented by Russian soldiers who appear in the end of the film. The two combatants, the Georgian the Chechen, were wounded and saved by the Estonian old man who not only cures their body wounds but also serve as a peacekeeper eventually capable of facilitating reconciliation between the two hostile men. Forced to share the same house, despite their opposite positions in the conflict (furthered by their different religious identities), the two enemies have been able to establish dialogue (in part, helped by their shared neighboring regional identities of the Caucasus). Their troubled paths towards better understand each other and carving out an island of humanity amidst the war around ultimately is the main focus of the film.

Despite all its festival accolades, this film has been only partially successful in full realization of its promising attempt at achieving multi-dimensional objectivity in presenting the conflict. The Russian peacekeepers in the film are deprived of any opportunity to explain their perspective or behave humanely and are represented in a Russophobic fashion as brutal externalities ultimately responsible for the ongoing violence. Yet the biggest surprise of the film on the regional conflict is the absence of any specifically ethnically Abkhazian perspective in the film, as if distinctive ethnic Abkhazians do not exist (perhaps some Georgians share that view) or as if the conflict had no Georgian internal civil war characteristics.

There are other miscellaneous inconsistencies in the film. For example, an oversized grave is prepared for dead Georgian soldiers while, realistically, no older person would do extra digging work. When the warriors enter the room, they fail to look around and inspect the space – something no professional combatant would forget do. And dropping a damaged car into an abyss does not seem to be a reasonable action for villagers with limited resources. Also the actors playing the two wounded enemies are not always psychologically convincing.

Perhaps the film works best at a more symbolic level. For example, the tangerines are reminiscent of the orange color that is associated with the so-called Orange Revolutions in the former Soviet realm. The orchard alludes to the biblical Gethsemane garden, most famous as the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before Jesus' crucifixion. Perhaps the film’s overall pacifist message and examination of the possibility of staying human regardless of ethnic divisions, is its main achievement.

Awards

• Academy Awards, USA, 2015
• BIFEST - Bari International Film Festival 2014, International Competition Award
• Gaudí Awards 2016, Best European Film (Millor Pel·lícula Europea)
• Jerusalem Film Festival 2014, Best Feature
• Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival 2013, Audience Award, Recommendations of Cinema Owners Award, Special Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg
• Satellite Awards 2014, Best Motion Picture, International Film
• Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2013, Estonian Film Award, International Film Clubs Award
• Traverse City Film Festival 2015, Audience Award
• Warsaw International Film Festival 2013, Audience Award, Best Director Award