Now in its 28th edition, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival) is once again providing a solution in the form of the cinematic arts. Kicking off on Friday November 8th and continuing until Sunday November 24th, the festival creates an environment where viewers enjoy being together and getting transported to other worlds. While attending the festival in-person would be ideal, if you're living outside of Estonia and can't attend, their roster of films still provides excellent ideas for things to watch over the next couple of months.
When viewing the festival’s roster of movies, with hundreds of intriguing, original film premises and impressive geographic range, you can really see how it’s become an A-list festival, as per its accreditation by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.
Among the whole lineup, you'll notice that German film is a focus of PÖFF28. This is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the German Films national information and advisory centre and the 25th anniversary of the Goethe-Institut in Estonia, one of the festival’s partners and presenters. The festival notes that “The focus programme comprises 15 new German films and 3 retrospectives, including three world premieres and three international premieres…”
Opening the festival is David Dietl’s feel-good comedy Long Story Short, which tells the story of a group of close friends and their parties over the years. Over time, “they experience a lot of fun together, but also tragic moments that prove that love and friendship are the most important gifts of all our lives.”
PÖFF has also drawn attention to Susi, the new AI film recommendation tool on their website. It seems worth a try. When the chat window is opened, Susi prompts you to talk to her in order to find the films you’re interested in. When asking “Can you find me a film that relates to life in Estonia and Canada?”, Susi recommended This Too Shall Pass, “a Canadian indie youth film that takes viewers on a journey of self-discovery with a group of teenagers crossing the border into Canada.” The chatbot informs you of themes touched upon in the recommended film, the film’s logline, as well as the premiere type and screening details in case you're in Estonia and want to go see it. Pretty useful.
Still, it’s enjoyable to simply browse through the myriad options and choose based on film titles, images, and trailers that catch one’s attention. Prospective attendees should make their own choices, but a few films that felt promising were as follows:
Agent of Happiness, directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó, follows a concept you might have encountered in discussions of global development. Bhutan is sometimes called the happiest country on Earth based on the way they measure Gross National Happiness, with Bhutan’s 4th king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, saying “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” With this in mind, the documentary sees the collection of data on happiness across the country by two “happiness agents.” And so, viewers can decide whether this approach is better; whether it’s possible to measure happiness on a ten-point scale.
Freight, directed by Max Carlo Kohal, is another documentary. Focused on a teenage sailor, Rudmer, and his crew members who work aboard a Dutch container ship, this is a different kind of coming-of-age story, where the uneasy feelings of growing up are side-by-side with the rigour of hauling cargo all over Europe’s inland waterways. The trailer would indicate that this is a cinematic experience deserving of a good quality screen and speakers, to soak in all of the intense industrial scenes.
Can I Get a Witness?, a dystopian drama-fantasy directed by Ann Marie Fleming, is built around a deeply disturbing premise — a world in which humans are forced to sacrificially end their lives at age 50. Seemingly, this is done in a softer, non-gratuitous way. But even so, in this scenario, young artists are given the difficult job of being there and creating an artistic record of these sacrifices. Contemplating the way our existences are ideologically entangled with environmental and societal survival, this film is bound to be on your mind for a while after.
Readers in Estonia will have an exciting time at the festival, as they can partake in the opening ceremony on November 8th, a black tie event, which includes a black carpet photo opp, live music, and a world premiere of Riho Unt’s animation Casablanca.
Wherever you're located, plan out some film watching nights, set up a comfy home cinema nook, and enjoy the longest nights of the year!
