War in Georgia, Abkhazia region 1992: local Abkhaz are fighting to break free from Georgia. Estonian village between the mountains has become empty, almost everyone has returned to their homeland, only two men have stayed: Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) and Margus (Elmo Nüganen). But Margus will leave as soon as he has harvested his crops of tangerines. In a bloody conflict in their miniature village, two wounded men (Nika Misha Meskhi and Ahmed Giorgi Nakashidze) are left behind, and Ivo is forced to take them in. But they are from opposite sides of the war. This is touching anti-war story about Estonians who find themselves in the middle of someone else's war. How do they handle it? How do the enemies act under third-party roof?
Audience Reviews
Rate and Review
Directed by Zaza Urushadze, the 2013 film "Tangerines" (Mandariinid) is a deeply moving masterpiece that seeks the shared conscience of humanity amidst the destructive shadow of war. Set during the 1992 conflict in Abkhazia, the story refrains from relying on grandiose battle sequences, choosing instead to captivate the audience through the intimate internal transformations of a few individuals trapped in a confined space. Unlike their fellow villagers who fled back to Estonia when war broke out, elderly Ivo and his neighbor Margus stay behind simply to harvest their mandarin crop. In doing so, they become an unintended neutral sanctuary in the middle of chaos. When two wounded rival soldiers—Ahmed, a Chechen mercenary, and Nika, a Georgian fighter—are taken in by Ivo after a deadly skirmish, the film establishes its core tension. Ivo’s unyielding rule that no violence shall take place under his roof evolves into a profound philosophical critique of nationalism and senseless hatred. The tangerine motif serves as a poignant symbol of nature and honest human labor, standing in stark contrast to the senseless destruction wrought by armed conflict. The unharvested fruit hanging on the trees reflects the fragility of life itself. Urushadze’s narrative avoids taking political sides, framing war exclusively as a human tragedy. The gradual breakdown of prejudice as the wounded enemies get to know each other, replacing hostility with shared grief and empathy, is portrayed with authentic subtlety. Lembit Ulfsak gives an extraordinary performance as Ivo, providing the film with its moral anchor through his quiet, stoic wisdom. When the personal tragedy in Ivo's past is finally revealed near the climax, the story's emotional weight becomes overwhelming. Supported by atmospheric cinematography and a minimalist score, "Tangerines" transcends conventional war cinema to deliver a timeless statement on human dignity.