The 27th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF, 3-19 November) has revealed the complete line-up of its Official Selection Competition. This year, the selection comprises 13 world and seven international premieres of movies by established filmmakers that the festival’s programming team wishes to highlight for the audience, film critics and the international film industry alike.

Festival director and head of programme Tiina Lokk shared her excitement over the selection: “This year's diverse programme has remarkably high artistic value with sharp social perspective. Each film tackles contemporary and relevant issues with a stimulating, fresh angle. At the same time, our Official Selection aims to connect high-quality narrative films with auteur cinema. Hence, new artistic approaches and cinema languages have always caught our attention. Everything that's currently in the air will end up on the screens of the Tallinn Black Nights cinemas.”

The European titles enjoying their world premieres include Familiar [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Călin Peter Netzer
scheda film] by Călin Peter Netzer (Child’s Pose), which centres on a filmmaker's decision to craft a narrative about his family's emigration to Germany in the 1980s. Additionally, Forever Hold Your Peace [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ivan Marinović
scheda film], directed by Ivan Marinović (The Black Pin [+leggi anche:
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trailer
intervista: Ivan Marinovic
scheda film]), unveils the tale of Dragana, a bride-to-be who abruptly calls off her wedding merely two days before the scheduled event.

On another cinematic frontier, Gust Van den Berghe's (Lucifer [+leggi anche:
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trailer
scheda film]) The Magnet Man [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gust Van den Berghe
scheda film] explores the life of Lucien, an individual with a peculiar ability (he attracts all things made of iron to his body), and is set in rural Belgium at the dawn of the 20th century. Ivan Tymchenko's sophomore feature, Oxygen Station [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ivan Tymchenko
scheda film], is a richly layered poetic drama inspired by the life of Mustafa Jemilev, a Soviet dissident, human rights advocate and leader of the Crimean Tatar nation. Meanwhile, in White Flag [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Batbayar Chogsom
scheda film] by Batbayar Chogsom, two young women embark on a journey to establish a nomadic life on the steppe, haunted by a troubling spectre from their past, despite their close bond.

A handful of European titles are having their international premieres at Tallinn Black Nights. Amal [+leggi anche:
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trailer
intervista: Jawad Rhalib
scheda film] by Jawad Rhalib (Fadma: Even Ants Have Wings [+leggi anche:
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trailer
scheda film]) is a social drama that delves into the life of a teacher in a Brussels school who bravely encourages her students to foster a love for literature and freedom of expression, even if it means putting her own safety at risk. Likewise, in Andrea's Love [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Manuel Martín Cuenca
scheda film], Manuel Martín Cuenca (The Daughter [+leggi anche:
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trailer
scheda film]) explores the narrative of a 15-year-old girl yearning to rekindle the affection of her father, who vanished from her life and her mother’s when he separated from the latter. Consent [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] is the cinematic adaptation by Vanessa Filho (Angel Face [+leggi anche:
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trailer
scheda film]) of Vanessa Springora’s best-selling book of the same name, offering an intimate glimpse into how the author found herself under the influence of a renowned writer.

In a distinct cinematic offering, The Man From Rome [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jaap van Heusden e Rogier …
scheda film] by Jaap van Heusden (In Blue [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Yannick Jozefzoon
scheda film]) traces the journey of Filippo, a sceptical Catholic priest whose world is rocked when he becomes captivated by a mute young woman. Meanwhile, Misericordia [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Emma Dante
scheda film] by Emma Dante (The Macaluso Sisters [+leggi anche:
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trailer
scheda film]) unfolds in a barren, seaside wasteland where three prostitutes survive in a village of outcasts, wrestling with the harsh realities of poverty, ignorance and violence. Furthermore, Jos Stelling (The Girl and Death [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]) presents Natasha's Dance [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a visual narrative that explores the lives of the introverted Danny and Natasha, a former ballerina who has endured life's hardships. Finally, with Teresa [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], Paula Ortiz (The Bride [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Paula Ortiz
scheda film]) offers an adaptation of the stage play La Lengua en Pedazos by Juan Mayorga, which draws inspiration from the remarkable figure of Saint Teresa of Jesus, also known as Teresa of Ávila (see the news).

Here is the full list of titles:

Official Selection – Competition

Amal [+leggi anche:
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trailer
intervista: Jawad Rhalib
scheda film] - Jawad Rhalib (Belgium/France)
Andrea's Love [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Manuel Martín Cuenca
scheda film] - Manuel Martín Cuenca (Spain)
Bad Actor - Jorge Cuchi (Mexico)
Ben-Joe - Akira Iwamatsu (Japan)
Consent [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film] - Vanessa Filho (France/Belgium)
Familiar [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Călin Peter Netzer
scheda film] - Călin Peter Netzer (Romania/France/Taiwan)
Forever Hold Your Peace [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Ivan Marinović
scheda film] - Ivan Marinović (Montenegro/Serbia/Czech Republic/Croatia/North Macedonia/Slovenia)
The G - Karl R Hearne (Canada)
Invisible Windows - Dr Bijukumar Demodaran (India)
The Man From Rome [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Jaap van Heusden e Rogier …
scheda film] - Jaap van Heusden (Netherlands/Germany)
The Magnet Man [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Gust Van den Berghe
scheda film] - Gust Van den Berghe (Belgium/Luxembourg/France/Netherlands)
Misericordia [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Emma Dante
scheda film] - Emma Dante (Italy)
Natasha's Dance [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Jos Stelling (Netherlands)
October Metafiction - Kyu-jun Cho (South Korea)
Once Again (for the very first time) - Boaz Yakin (USA)
Oxygen Station [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Ivan Tymchenko
scheda film] - Ivan Tymchenko (Ukraine/Czech Republic/Sweden/Slovakia)
Patient #1 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Rezo Gigineishvili (Georgia/Russia)
Ten Months - Idan Hubel (Israel)
Teresa [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Paula Ortiz (Spain)
White Flag [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Batbayar Chogsom
scheda film] - Batbayar Chogsom (Mongolia/Switzerland/Japan)