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Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival · 2022

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2022

Baltic Competition

Programme

15 films · 8 reviews

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Aurora's Sunrise

Review preview for Aurora's Sunrise

It is Aurora herself who, unsurprisingly, provides the most poignant observations as she looks back at her life.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Recreation of one woman's flight from the Armenian Genocide.

(Country: Germany, Lithuania, Armenia; Year: 2022; Director: Inna Sahakyan; Writer: Peter Liakhov, Kerstin Meyer-Beetz, Inna Sahakyan; Stars: Anzhelika Hakobyan, Arpi Petrossian, Shushan Abrahamyan, Seyran Akopov, Miqayel Aleksanyan, Tigran Amirkhanyan, Ervin Amiryan, Sara Anjargolian, First Aunt, Second Aunt, Edgar Avetisyan, Tigran Baghdasaryan, Varand Bedrossian, Hrag Boyadjian, Tamara Chalkhifalaqyan)

The Bog (Soo)

A man who has returned from Paris to his brother's bog farm finds himself in conflict with a local over a local girl he begins to fall for.

(Country: Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Ergo Kuld; Writer: Martin Algus; Stars: Franz Malmsten, Hanna-Ly Aavik, Helgur Rosental, Martin Kork, Grete Klein, Liis Lass, Märten Matsu, Toomas Suuman, Indrek Taalmaa, Epp Eespäev)

January (January)

An aspiring filmmaker tries to search for who he is against the backdrop of Latvian independence

(Country: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland; Year: 2022; Director: Viesturs Kairiss; Writer: Andris Feldmanis, Viesturs Kairiss, Livia Ulman; Stars: Rudolfs Cirulis, Alise Danovska, Aleksas Kazanavicius, Karlis Arnolds Avots, Baiba Broka)

Kalev

Review preview for Kalev

The fast storytelling tempo transforms Kalev into a basketball game without a time-out.

Haji Safarov · 2.5 out of 5
In summer 1990, the Estonian basketball has to decide whether to take part in the USSR’s championship against a backdrop of the move for independence.

(Country: Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Ove Musting; Writer: Martin Algus, Ove Musting, Mehis Pihla; Stars: Mait Malmsten, Reimo Sagor, Priit Võigemast, Mihkel Kuusk, Ott Kartau, Veiko Porkanen, Kristjan Sarv, Siim Maaten, Arturs Putnins, Howard Frier, Jonathan Peterson, Rauno Polman, Mathias Leedo, Andris Keiss, Jekabs Reinis)

A Letter From Helga

Review preview for A Letter From Helga

A film as interested in the dynamics of romance as it is in romance itself.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
Two very different, married people fall in love in a remote Icelandic community.

(Country: Iceland, Netherlands, Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir; Writer: Bergsveinn Birgisson, Bergsveinn Birgisson, Ottó Geir Borg; Stars: Arnmundur Ernst Björnsson, Anita Briem, Soley Eliasdottir, Þorsteinn Gunnarsson, Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson, Hera Hilmar, Hjörtur Jóhann Jónsson, Thor Kristjansson, Rakel Ýr Stefánsdóttir, Jóhanna Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir, Björn Thors)

Lovable (Milulis)

Matiss is way too young to be suddenly left to care for his partner’s nine-year-old daughter. A responsibility like this reveals Matiss’ true nature.

(Country: Latvia, Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Stanislavs Tokalovs; Writer: Waldemar Kalinowski, Stanislavs Tokalovs; Stars: Karlis Arnolds Avots, Paula Lubane, Gundars Abolins, Vilis Daudzins, Andris Keiss, Kristine Kruze, Regnars Vaivars, Elina Vaska)

Melchior: The Apothecary

Double bill of films.

(Country: Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Elmo Nüganen; Writer: Indrek Hargla, Olle Mirme, Elmo Nüganen; Stars: Märten Metsaviir, Alo Kõrve, Maarja Johanna Mägi, Siim Kelner, Ken Rüütel, Marko Matvere, Martin Kork, Mait Malmsten, Kristjan Sarv, Andero Ermel, Franz Malmsten, Henessi Schmidt, Hendrik Toompere Jr., Jaan Pehk, Gatis Gaga)

Minsk

Single-take thriller set in Belarussia.

(Country: Estonia; Year: 2022; Director: Boris Guts; Stars: Anastasia Shemyakina, Aleksey Maslodudov, Daniil Steklov, Julia Aug, Evgeniy Koryakovskiy)

My Love Affair With Marriage

Review preview for My Love Affair With Marriage

If there’s a single word to describe the latest film from Signe Baumane, it’s vibrancy.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Some people spend their lives wondering why a marriage didn’t last. Signe Baumane set out to get some answers. The result is this animated film, which combines ancient mythology and contemporary neuroscience.

(Country: US; Year: 2022; Director: Signe Baumane; Writer: Signe Baumane; Stars: Dagmara Dominczyk, Michele Pawk, Matthew Modine, Cameron Monaghan, Stephen Lang, Erica Schroeder, Emma Kenney, Anna O'Donoghue, Tanya Franks, Clyde Baldo, Najla Said, Keith Randolph Smith, Dan Domingues, Florencia Lozano, Ruby Modine)

Pensive (Rupintojelis)

Review preview for Pensive

Shooting much of this at night on a low budget, Trukanas pulls off some impressive work.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A graduation weekend away goes drastically wrong when a masked killer shows up.

(Country: Lithuania; Year: 2022; Director: Jonas Trukanas; Writer: Titas Laucius, Jonas Trukanas; Stars: Sarunas Rapolas Meliesius, Gabija Bargailaite, Marius Repsys, Donatas Simukauskas, Kipras Masidlauskas, Povilas Jatkevicius, Martynas Berulis, Saule Rasimaite)

The Poet (Poetas)

Tale of a double-agent poet-turned-teacher set against the backdrop of Lithuania's partisan war.

(Country: Lithuania; Year: 2022; Director: Giedrius Tamoševičius, Vytautas V Landsbergis; Writer: Giedrius Tamoševičius, Vytautas V Landsbergis; Stars: Donatas Želvys, Dainius Gavenonis, Indrė Patkauskaitė)

Remember To Blink (Per Arti, The Family)

Review preview for Remember To Blink

Urbaite shows stylistic ambition.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
A young woman engaged to help a pair of children fit into their new French family engages in a battle of wills with their new mum.

(Country: Lithuania; Year: 2022; Director: Austeja Urbaite; Writer: Austeja Urbaite; Stars: Dovile Kundrotaite, Anne Azoulay, Arthur Igual, Inesa Sionova, Ajus Antanavicius)

The Taste Of Water (Ūdens garša)

Single-take black comedy about an investigative journalist on a mission.

(Country: Latvia; Year: 2022; Director: Matiss Kaza; Writer: Alise Danovska, Vilis Daudzins, Matiss Kaza; Stars: Vilis Daudzins, Iveta Pole, Andris Keiss, Alise Danovska, Gerds Laposka, Janis Skutelis)

Traces

Review preview for Traces

Unfortunately, narratively and thematically Traces soon delves into the overly familiar territory of European art house cinema - bourgeoise existential crisis.

Amar Komic · 2.5 out of 5
A young scientist struggles for meaning after the death of her dad.

(Country: Croatia, Lithuania, Serbia; Year: 2022; Director: Dubravka Turic; Writer: Dubravka Turic, Danijel Zezelj; Stars: Marija Skaricic, Niksa Butijer, Lana Baric, Mate Gulin, Tvrtko Juric, Dragan Micanovic, Tanja Smoje, Marina Redzepovic, Aleksandra Naumov, Barbara Nola, Ji Suk Baek, Hrvoje Barisic, Mirela Brekalo, You Kwang Kim, Marla Knezovic)

Vesper

Review preview for Vesper

A story which is, ultimately, about learning to think differently, to change the way that we direct our attention and resources in order to open up the possibility of renewal.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
At some point in the future the Earth’s ecosystem collapses. A tough 13-year-old called Vesper, whose father is paralysed, tries to get food for them wherever she can. When she finds a mysterious woman in the forest one day she starts to hope that things will change.

(Country: Lithuania, France, Belgium; Year: 2022; Director: Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper; Writer: Kristina Buozyte, Brian Clark, Bruno Samper; Stars: Raffiella Chapman, Eddie Marsan, Rosy McEwen, Richard Brake, Melanie Gaydos, Edmund Dehn, Titas Rukas, Markas Eimontas, Markas Sagaitis, Marijus Demiskis, Matvej Buravkov)