17/10/2023 - The second-ever iteration of the section will showcase 15 films, including 12 world premieres in competition

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), set to take place from 3-19 November, has unveiled the line-up for the second instalment of its Critics’ Picks section. The programme will feature a total of 15 films, with 12 of them enjoying their world premieres in the competition category. Additionally, the schedule will feature three movies out of competition, showcasing the work of renowned filmmakers who have garnered acclaim from both audiences and critics alike.

The Critics’ Picks programming team is headed up by Nikolaj Nikitin, head of SOFA School of Film Advancement, who explained: “One can find highly entertaining and original comedies next to psychological and historical thrillers, challenging drama, hard-boiled action and touching love stories of all colours, as well as diversity and gender balance, in the selection. This year’s thin, red artistic line is the fight for personal and political independence. Often set in the past, [this theme] is nowadays present like never before. The audience will surely relate to these marvellous films selected, which will make you think, discuss and reflect. That is the great power of cinema.”

Festival director and head of programme Tiina Lokk added: “The new competition strand introduced in 2022 has paid off well. The thoughtfully chosen, sort of chamber-like selection gathers exceptional arthouse works that otherwise might be missed in the vast and expansive festival programme.”

Regarding the European titles in competition, renowned DoP Phedon Papamichael presents his latest directorial venture, Light Falls [+see also:
film review
interview: Phedon Papamichael
film profile], which delves into the complex dynamics of a divided world, following the story of Clara, a Georgian model in Los Angeles, who invites her girlfriend Ella on a Greek island holiday. Meanwhile, Altin, Veton and Eddy, young Albanian labourers living in an abandoned seaside hotel, inadvertently cross paths with Clara and Ella, leading to a series of misunderstandings that escalate into violence and revenge. On the other hand, Szabolcs Hajdu's (It's Not the Time of My Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu
film profile]) Kalman's Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu
film profile] offers a minimalistic, vivid portrayal of characters coming to terms with the repetitiveness of life, where risk-taking gives way to the quest for stability and preservation. Maya Kenig's (Off-White Lies [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) The Milky Way [+see also:
film review
film profile] introduces us to Tala, a 33-year-old single mother who joins a futuristic company named Milky Way to make ends meet, as her music career falls short. Tala's journey takes an unexpected turn when she encounters challenges while selling her breast milk, ultimately leading her to explore alternative avenues for her precious product.

In addition, Her Body [+see also:
film review
interview: Natálie Císařovská
film profile], Natálie Císařovská's debut feature, delves into the life of Andrea Absolonová, a Czech professional diver whose promising career was cut short by a spinal injury, leading her to embrace a career in the adult-entertainment industry. Lessons of Tolerance [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Arkadiy Nepytaliuk is a dark comedy centring on a determined small-town schoolteacher trying to rescue her family from financial turmoil and potential separation by enrolling them in the government's "Lessons of Tolerance" programme, aimed at European integration (see the news). Notably, this year's competition introduces its first animation, Pelikan Blue [+see also:
film review
interview: Laszló Csaki
film profile] by László Csáki, which follows three young Hungarians on a journey to the West with fake train tickets, leading to unexpected black-market endeavours and encounters with the authorities. Finally, in The Old Man and the Land [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Nick Parish, an elderly man works diligently to maintain his ancestral farmland, while his distant and controlling children also play a role in the narrative.

Here is the list of selected titles:

Critics’ Picks – Competition

Fez Summer '55 - Abdelhai Laraki (Morocco)
Great Sertão - Guel Arraes (Brazil)
Her Body [+see also:
film review
interview: Natálie Císařovská
film profile] - Natálie Císařovská (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Kalman's Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu
film profile] - Szabolcs Hajdu (Hungary/USA)
The Land Where Winds Stood Still - Ardak Amirkulov (Kazakhstan)
Lessons of Tolerance [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Arkadiy Nepytaliuk (Ukraine)
Light Falls [+see also:
film review
interview: Phedon Papamichael
film profile] - Phedon Papamichael (Georgia/Albania/Greece/Germany)
The Milky Way [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Maya Kenig (Israel/France)
Mrs. - Arati Kadav (India)
Nobody Leaves Alive - André Ristum (Brazil)
The Old Man and the Land [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Nick Parish (UK)
Pelikan Blue [+see also:
film review
interview: Laszló Csaki
film profile] - Laszló Csaki (Hungary)

Critics’ Picks – Out of Competition

Daaaaaali! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Quentin Dupieux (France)
Observing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Janez Burger
film profile] - Janez Burger (Slovenia/Croatia/North Macedonia)
Your Mother's Son - Jun Robles Lana (Philippines)