Director Zaza Urushadze on Oscar-nominated drama 'Tangerines'
The award-winning filmmaker discusses his profound and Academy Award nominated drama, Tangerines.
In 1992, a conflict between the country of Georgia and Abkhazia broke out as a resulting of ethnic conflict and in part due to the fallout of the collapse of the Soviet Union. To this day, the battle remains widely unresolved and one of the most violent in the post-Soviet regions. Abkhaz still refute any coalition with Georgia, while the Georgians believe that historically, Abkhaz has formed part of Georgia.
The 1992-93 War in Abkhazia is the main premise for the latest film by Georgian screenwriter and filmmaker Zaza Urushadze, Tangerines. The Estonian-Georgian film centers on a two Estonian men Ivo and Margus who remain in their village to harvest the seasonal tangerines. However, as the war in Georgia continues, a wounded man is left on Ivo’s door and the elderly man is forced to take him into his home.
Urushadze was keen to discuss Tangerines and its underlying and subliminal message. “Yes, the movie is about the war”, he claims, “but it’s just a backdrop.” He adds, “It’s more about the characters who had to live during those terrible times, who are trying not to lose humanity: peace the most important message in this movie.”
Tangerines is the fifth feature film by Urushadze; all of which contain a screenplay by the director. “It just so happened that most of my films are written by me”, laughs Urushadze “I prefer it like this.” On the topic of having a preference of the two, the director answers: “Writing a script is really pleasant. But, of course, nothing compares to filmmaking.” A Georgian himself, Urushadze affirms that the Abkhazian war a tragic time in his life as well as many around him. “This war was very painful for Georgians, we lost a lot of people” he confirms, “it’s a very beautiful part of our country and I lost many close friends.”
Veteran Soviet actor Lembit Ulfsak portrays the lead character of Ivo; a decision that Urushadze urges was not hard to come to. “I watched his movies when I was a kid,” he says, “ When I was shown his photos, I imagined him in a beard and knew that he would be my lead character.” Alongside Ulfsak stars Georgian actors Giorgi Nakashidze and Mikheil Meskhi and Estonian actor Elmo Nüganen.
On the topic of developing their characters, Urushadze explains: “We had repetitions every night to find out if the dialogues felt real, to catch the false notes in them.” With a modest production of just 32 shooting days, the actors worked alongside a small off-camera team. “Yes, I love working with the small crew”, says Urushadze, “Everything you see on the screen – except the tangerine garden – was built by our crew and it required a lot of energy and planning.” He adds,“Estonians are quiet and Georgians are very loud, but we still managed to understand each other very well” he laughs.
As well as the character study and exploration of the war, Tangerines is a powerful and poignant drama, which is accentuated by the film’s compelling music. The composer is famous Georgian musician Niaz Diasamidze whom Urushadze refers to as a genius. “I think he found the exact emotion the film is trying to convey” he asserts, “He took a melody from Estonian folklore and played it on Georgian instruments: I think the result is very interesting.”
Tangerines received critical praise from viewers and critics across the board earning the film a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Urushadze spoke of the prestigious event and highlight of his career. “It was very emotional for me”, he recounts, “First was the Golden Globe nomination – and it was a shock – but when the Academy Award nominations were announced, my reaction was very loud and funny; as was my producer.” He adds, “The whole race to the Oscars was very interesting. It went on for 4 months: the screenings and press conferences were a great experience.”
Urushadze marked his directorial debut in 1998 with the Georgian drama Here Comes the Dawn. Three Houses (2008), Stay With Me (2011) and The Guardian (2012) swiftly followed all of which earned the director critical acclaim. However, Urushadze’s latest film marked an original production process for the director: an element resembled both on and off the screen. “Tangerines was the first co-production for me”, he confirms, “Half of the staff were Georgian and the other half Estonian: it was very interesting.” However, with a modest cast and crew, their director had to face a few challenges along the way. “We were waiting for the finances from Estonia and the wait lasted longer than expected. I had already built the set around the plantation and was really nervous during the wait.”
Tangerines is a potent drama that introduces audiences to a tragic period in history that many have forgotten. The 1992-93 Abkhazian War resulted in the loss of many but the unity of civilians and humanity: a fundamental element incorporated throughout Urushadze’s film.
Since the release of Tangerines, the director informs us that more projects are on the way; a result of the awareness that his film created. “After the Oscar nomination, the Georgian government financed my next project: so I’m currently working on it.” Watch this space.