The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has unveiled the lineup for the Baltic Competition of its 29th edition, featuring 11 titles from the region’s filmmakers.
Sergei Loznitsa‘s Two Prosecutors, which premiered at Cannes, will open the lineup in an out-of-competition slot.
The three world premieres in the program are very different. Alise Zariņa’s Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart is a Latvian coming-of-age dramedy that follows Liv, a 30-something woman struggling with body insecurities. “Once, Liv dreamed of being a Barbie and still hopes her loving, somewhat old-fashioned husband finds her irresistible, even if their kisses are few and far between,” reads a synopsis. “Everything changes when Liv receives a sudden call: her estranged father is in a coma and undergoing intensive therapy.”
Borderline, from director Ignas Jonynas, is a modern western starring rising star Šarūnas Zenkevičius (Renovation). “Mourning ornithologist Vilius owes money to the bank, guards birds from poachers’ nets, monitors migration, and cares for his mentally vulnerable daughter, Urtė,” reads a plot summary. “When a staged accident disrupts his bleak routine, Vilius is forced into the shadowy world of smuggling illegal contraband.”
And in Paavo Westerberg’s Finland-Estonia co-production Therapy, Finnish film stars search for the secret to a long marriage in a historical Estonian mansion. “Marriage no longer works for popular authors Leena and Pekka, though their careers as couples’ therapists are thriving,” according to a plot summary.
Among other Baltic Competition titles are Lithuanian writer and director Gabrielė Urbonaitė‘s feature directorial debut Renovation, Lithuanian cinematographer Vytautas Katkus’ directorial debut The Visitor, and The Activist, the final movie in Lithuanian director Romas Zabarauskas’ (The Lawyer, The Writer) queer trilogy.
“With this year’s selection, we’re highlighting the growing importance of our region,” said Edvinas Pukšta, curator of the Baltic Competition. “For the first time, PÖFF features two separate Baltic competitions — one for fiction and one for documentaries — and nearly 40 feature-length Baltic films across the entire festival, which is more than ever before. One of our goals is to showcase award-winning films from the region, such as The Visitor, which just won the Riga International Film Festival feature film competition, and to celebrate their international success with our audiences.”
The Baltic Competition jury is made up of Georgian auteur Alexandre Koberidze (Dry Leaf, What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?), Turkish filmmaker Gözde Kural (Cinema Jazireh), and Montse Triola, producer, co-founder of Andergraun Films, and long-time collaborator of Albert Serra (Afternoons of Solitude).
Check out the full Baltic Competition program for the Tallinn festival below.
World Premieres
Borderline, dir: Ignas Jonynas (Lithuania)
Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart, dir: Alise Zariņa (Latvia)
Therapy, dir: Paavo Westerberg (Finland, Estonia)
International Premieres
Red Code Blue, dir: Oskars Rupenheits (Latvia)
The Activist, dir: Romas Zabarauskas (Lithuania)
New Money, dir: Rain Rannu (Estonia)
Baltic Premieres
Becoming, dir: Zhannat Alshanova (France, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania)
Hunger Strike Breakfast, dir: Karolis Kaupinis (Lithuania)
Renovation, dir: Gabrielė Urbonaitė (Lithuania)
Others
Fränk, dir: Tõnis Pill (Estonia)
The Visitor, dir: Vytautas Katkus (Lithuania, Norway, France)
Out of Competition
Two Prosecutors, dir: Sergei Loznitsa (France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine)
