You don’t often get a chance to see an Estonian-Georgian co-production here on the big screen in Australia, so this must be good. Directed by Georgian Zaza Urushadze in 2013, this was only distributed more widely after receiving a long string of awards in Europe and the US. One of these was an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015, the first Oscar nomination ever for an Estonian film.

The movie is a passionate plea for peace, an invitation to question partisanship, neutrality, violence and peace and what it means to be human. Its clear and credible message has unanimously received positive feedback.

Tangerines tells the story of a carpenter, Ivo, and a mandarin orchard owner, Margus. Both Estonians refuse to leave their village settled by Estonians more than a century ago in Abkhazia. Most other villagers have left, repatriating to Estonia to escape the Georgian-Abkhazian war for control over the region. While both men aim to continue living a tranquil village life, staying out of the conflict which keeps breaking into their daily lives proves impossible.

When two badly wounded soldiers from opposite sides are left behind after intensive fighting, they are taken in by Ivo on condition that they do not harm each other. The two men are forced to share the same house, the same food, but still vow to kill each other as soon as they recover.

The beautiful Georgia landscapes underline the contrast between the natural peace and tranquillity and the harshness of man-made war.