Tallinn Black Nights Fest Unveils Baltic Film Competition, With Cannes Hit ‘Two Prosecutors’ Set as Opener

By Annika Pham

According To The variety Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF)’s anticipated Baltic Films Competition, curated for the 8th time by Edvinas Pukšta, has just been unveiled, with a rich lineup of 11 titles including three world premieres.

For the first time. the slate takes in only Baltic fiction films and co-productions, as documentaries will compete in the separate program Doc@PÖFF Baltic Competition.

Kicking off the program will be this year’s Palme d’Or contender “Two Prosecutors” by Sergei Loznitsa, “an obvious choice” for Pukšta considering the filmmaker’s pedigree and the raft of Baltic cast and crew attached, such as the helmer’s regular Lithuanian editor Danielius Kokanauskis.

“Plus it’s a major European co-production involving Latvia [White Picture] and Lithuania [Studio Uljana Kim]. In our program, we make a point of showcasing not only the latest and best Baltic features, but also minority Baltic co-productions to highlight the range of countries collaborating with the Baltics,” said Pukšta.

Case in point: the Finnish/Estonian “Therapy” by Paavo Westerberg, set to world premiere in Tallinn. Led by a strong ensemble cast including Pihla Viitala, Tommi Korpela, Alma Pöysti and Jarkko Niemi, the film, shot in Estonia, is billed as ”a realistic tragicomedy exploring themes of change, rebirth, love, hate, relationships, and life’s unpredictable forces.”

Also selected in competition is “Becoming,” by debut helmer Zhannat Alshanova which bowed recently at Locarno’s Cineasti del Presente. The five-country production, led by France, is the first Lithuanian co-production with Kazakhstan, Pukšta noted.

In a well-calibrated program combining new and seasoned directors, wide-ranging genres-from dramedy to neo noir, thrillers, dramas and coming of age, Lithuania dominates with five films and two co-productions, versus two films and one co-production for Latvia and two Estonian films in competition.

“Lithuania is ruling this year,” said Pukšta, citing the “extremely talented” newcomers Vytaukas Katkus and Gabriele Urbonaitè whose respective first features “The Visitor” and “Renonation” are racking up festival laurels after their successful launches in Karlovy Vary.

The curator said his biggest joy is to screen as a world premiere “Borderline”, the third feature by Lithuania’s Ignas Jonynas whose earlier works “The Gambler” (2013) and “Invisible” (2019) bowed at San Sebastian. “It’s a very dark, effective and gritty thriller, with non-professional female actor Danguolė Beinarytė as a true badass!”

Then referring to “Hunger Breakfast Strike” by Karolis Kaupinis, Pukšta turns emotional when speaking to Variety, saying that the drama about a group of people in post-Soviet Lithuania, protesting against Russian forces occupying the national TV station, “indirectly reflects what’s happening right now in the country.”

Pukšta refers to the political instability in the largest Baltic country and absence of a Culture Minister, since the resignation late September, after only a week, of Ignotas Adomavičius, a pro-Russian politician from the far right Nemunas Dawn party whose appointment created mass protests within the cultural community.

“Nemunas Dawn, which is still in the coalition government and shamefully in charge of Culture, has been waging a campaign of disinformation against Lithuanian films, notably against “Hunger Strike Breakfast,” which motivated me even more to include it in our program,” Pukšta said.

For the curator, festivals have a mandate to inspire, engage and sometimes provoke which is what two other pics in the Baltic selection will most probably achieve, he argued. “The Activist,” the fifth pic by Lithuania’s Romas Zabaraukas, is a gay neo-noir partly set in the neo-Nazi community, while “New Money,” by esteemed Estonian filmmaker/producer Rain Rannu (“Child Machine,” “Free Money”) is a satire about cryptocurrency.

“New Money” and the youth drama “Fränk” by rising Estonian filmmaker Tõnis Pill will be showcased for the first time to an international crowd at PÖFF after their successful domestic release. With more than 110,000 admissions, “Fränk” is the biggest Estonian film of the year-so far – with “New Money” ranking third after only a few weeks on screens.

Meanwhile the Latvian world premiere “Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart” by Alise Zarina (“Nearby”) is described by Pukšta as a feminist film – altogether funny, sorrowful, provocative and dramatic, and “Red Code Blue” by Oskars Rupenheits, as “a police procedural set during the first years after Latvia regained its independence, a time of mistrust.” The feature was introduced to Cannes delegates at this year’s Black Nights ‘Goes to Cannes’ showcase at the Marché du Film.

The Baltic Films competition will be judged by a prestigious jury including Turkish filmmaker Gözde Kural (“Cinema Jazireh,” “Dust)”, Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze (“Dry Leaf,” “Never Let the Summer Come Again”) and Catalan producer Montse Triola, founder of the production outfit Andergraun Films with Albert Serra.

Baltic Film Competition

Out of competition, opening film:

“Two Prosecutors,” (Sergei Loznitsa, France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine)

In competition:

“Borderline,” (Ignas Jonynas, Lithuania, world premiere)

“Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart,” (Alise Zariņa, Latvia , world premiere)

“Therapy,” (Paavo Westerberg, Finland, Estonia, world premiere)

“Red Code Blue,” (Oskars Rupenheits, Latvia, international premiere)

“The Activist,” (Romas Zabarauskas, Lithuania, international premiere)

“Becoming,” (Zhannat Alshanova, France, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania, Baltic premiere)

“Hunger Strike Breakfast,” Karolis Kaupinis, Lithuania, Baltic premiere)

“Renovation,” (Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania, Baltic premiere)

“Fränk,” (Tõnis Pill, Estonia)

“New Money,” (Rain Rannu, Estonia, international premiere) 

“The Visitor,” (Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania, Norway, France)