Film Notes: Mandariinid, English title: Tangerines (2013) directed by Zaza Urushadze

Esta entrada es bilingüe, para ver la versión en castellano desplazarse hacia abajo

EE – GE / 87 minutes / color / Allfilm, Cinema24 Dir: Zaza Urushadze Pro: Ivo Felt and Zaza Urushadze Scr: Zaza Urushadze Cine: Rein Kotov Mus: Niaz Diasamidze Cast: Lembit Ulfsak, Mikheil Meskhi, Giorgi Nakhashidze, Elmo Nuganen, Raivo Trass. This film has not been released in Spanish theatres yet.

Tangerines (2013) has been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. It was also among the five nominated films at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards for best foreign language film.

Synopsis: There have been Estonian settlements on the Caucasian Black Sea coast for over a hundred years. The 1992 outbreak of the bloody conflicts between Georgia and the Russia-supported republic of Abkhazia forced the majority of Estonians to return to the country of their forefathers. Their villages turned into ghost towns – only a few people stayed behind. Among them, aging carpenter Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) and his neighbor Markus (Elmo Nuganen), who makes a living cultivating tangerines. The fruit is ripe and should be harvested soon, but the conflict gets in the way. In fact you could say it comes for a house visit… When a battle takes place right outside his door, Ivo takes in two badly wounded men: Achmed (Giorgi Nakhashidze), a Chechen, and Nika (Mikheil Meskhi), a Georgian. He soon discovers that housing deadly enemies is not easy. Yet he acts calmly and declares his home a diplomatic neutral zone. This deeply pacifist chamber drama is as tense as any thriller. (Source: Palm Spring International Film Society)

From The Hollywood Reporter: With 83 countries in this year’s foreign language Oscar race, competition is stiff, and predictions are tricky.  One of the strongest contenders is the entry from Estonia, “Tangerines”.  Although the subject of civil war within the former Soviet countries has been tackled in other movies, this retelling is one of the most concise and affecting.  Perhaps it works because it focuses on just a few characters and yet crystallizes the entire tragic history of the region.  The film probably needs a nomination from either the Academy or the Hollywood Foreign Press to secure an American release, but it is sure to touch viewers who see it. (Full review here)

Read more at Estonian World

Through a series of circumstances, I had the opportunity to watch this film on DVD yesterday, when I least expected. A highly interesting film that manages to completely catch the attention of the viewer. A very strong contender for Best Foreign Language Film Award this year. It will be a shame if it doesn’t obtain it. Which will not surprise me at all. It stands above all the other nominated films that I’ve seen so far, including the not insignificant Ida.

Notas de Cine: Tangerines (2013) dirigida por Zaza Urushadze

Sinopsis: 1990. La guerra estalla en la provincia georgiana de Abkhazia, que busca independizarse. Un hombre estonio, Ivo, decide quedarse, a diferencia del resto de sus compatriotas, para ayudar a su amigo Margus con la cosecha de mandarinas. En los inicios del conflicto, un par de soldados resultan heridos a las puertas de la casa de Ivo, y éste se ve obligado a cuidar de ellos. (Film Affinity)

Ver reseña en cinebso.

Debido a una serie de circunstancias, tuve la oportunidad de ver esta película en DVD ayer cuando menos lo esperaba. Una película muy interesante que logra captar por completo la atención del espectador. Una muy fuerte contendiente al premio a la Mejor Película de habla no inglesa este año. Será una pena si no lo consigue. Lo cual no me sorprendería en absoluto. Destaca por encima de todas las otras películas nominadas que he visto hasta el momento, incluyendo la nada despreciable Ida.