Taming the Garden

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1:46

Taming the Garden

2022

1h 32m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

71%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

A powerful man, who is also the former prime minister of Georgia, has developed an exquisite hobby. He collects century old trees along Georgia's coastline. He commissions his men to uproot them and bring them to his private garden. Some of these trees are as tall as 15-floor-buildings. And in order to transplant a tree of such dimensions some other trees are chopped down, electric cables are shifted and new roads are paved through mandarin plantations.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Oct 14, 2022

Absolutely fascinating, beautifully shot, very poetic and extremely infuriating.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Jan 30, 2022

4/5

[An] extraordinary, savagely poetic film.

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Jan 27, 2022

4/5

[An] extraordinary film...

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Jan 6, 2023

This believe-it-or-not documentary’s principal figure manages to stay offscreen, yet he is unquestionably the “star,” as his will virtually alters the landscape of the country he was (briefly) Prime Minister of a decade ago.

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Jason Flatt

But Why Tho?

Jan 4, 2023

9/10

Taming the Garden is harrowing and haunting. Its beauty as a film only makes the deeply sad, horrendously selfish story of utter destruction that much more upsetting.

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Soham Gadre

Film Inquiry

Dec 24, 2022

Taming the Garden is a consciously composed documentary that tries to communicate through observation. An eye-catching watch.

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dave d

@RT34924333 Apr 18, 2024

A most frustrating documentary, this Georgian film is an excruciating watch. If you enjoy the works of Frederick Wiseman, you'll love this. There is very little in the way of dialogue. Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia's former prime minister, and current billionaire, is on a quest for trees for the construction of a park on his estate. Why should we care? This is a slog and boring and despite being in focus is one of the worst docs I've seen in recent memory. Why is this a film? So, a billionaire pays commoners for trees? Great idea, totally botched! Dystopian world! Final Score: 0.3/10

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Salomé Jashi

Director

Salomé Jashi

Writer

Salomé Jashi

Producer

Vadim Jendreyko

Producer

Martin Roelly

Producer

Erik Winkler

Producer

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Taming the Garden: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A powerful man, who is also the former prime minister of Georgia, has developed an exquisite hobby. He collects century old trees along Georgia's coastline. He commissions his men to uproot them and bring them to his private garden. Some of these trees are as tall as 15-floor-buildings. And in order to transplant a tree of such dimensions some other trees are chopped down, electric cables are shifted and new roads are paved through mandarin plantations.

Director: Salomé Jashi
Producer: Salomé Jashi, Vadim Jendreyko, Martin Roelly, Erik Winkler
Screenwriter: Salomé Jashi
Distributor: Big World Pictures
Production Co: Mira Film, Sakdoc film, Corso Film
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Georgian
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2022
Runtime: 1h 32m

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