‘Tangerines’ film screened in Estonia and Czech Republic

Oscar-nominated Estonian-Georgian war-time drama Tangerines (Mandarinebi) has been screened at two Georgian Embassies abroad - a few days before the film will go head-to-head with four other films at the 2015 Academy Awards.

This week the film was presented at the Embassy of Georgia to the Czech Republic and at the Embassy of Georgia to republic of Estonia.

Tangerines, directed by Georgian Zaza Urushadze, is shortlisted for an Academy Award in the Foreign Language section.

The 87th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honour the best films of 2014. The ceremony will kick off at 5.30pm on February 22, 2015 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

A group representing Georgia, including actors and those involved in the film, are due to attend the prestigious ceremony.

The movie has already been showcased several times in Estonia but its screening at the Georgian Embassy was considered a very important event.

After the movie screening Georgian Ambassador Tea Akhvlediani recalled the rich history of Georgian cinema. She said Tangerines was a good example of bilateral cooperation and since the film’s release, it had gained a lot of international recognition and awarded at a range of international film festivals.

She also spoke about Georgia’s past, particularly the state of the country and the challenges people faced after the country regained its sovereignty in the early 1990s.

She discussed what life was like before the war in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, as well as the state of affairs before the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008.

The movie screening in Estonia and the Czech Republic was attended by diplomatic corps accredited in the Czech Republic, Czech MPs (Members of Parliament) and governmental representatives, journalists, representatives of the non-governmental sector and film industry figures.

After the presentation, guests were able to enjoy Georgian traditional dishes, Georgian wine and tangerines.