An influential man in Georgia has begun an unusual hobby – he buys up centuries-old trees from coastal-dwelling locals, and has them dug up and transported to a special collection in his private park. In transplanting trees of such an impressive size, the local landscape is destroyed, and the locals must reconcile with the new, stinging emptiness. The visually poetic film follows the transplantation of the trees and portrays the societal values of modern-day Georgia, reflecting on the theme of forced migration, wherein “uprooting” is something more than a metaphor.

The influential man is Bidzina Ivanishvili, former Prime Minister of Georgia (2012-2013) and political Grey Cardinal. With the film, the director has hit the authorities in a painful spot, and Taming the Garden has been censored in Georgia. In 2022, the newly installed head of the Georgian Film Academy informed the director that several planned screenings were cancelled because the film is dividing society. More than 40 Georgian and international organizations published a letter of support for director Salome Jashi and others working in arts and culture in Georgia, turning to Georgian authorities with the demand to ensure artistic freedom in the country.