It is often claimed in small countries that directors are unable to maintain their creative form with the limited resources. Albanian Gentian Koçi overturns that claim, or perhaps he is simply an exception. His debut “Daybreak” (2017) took part in half a hundred film festivals and represented Albania in the Oscar race. The author now comes to PÖFF with his second feature film and even before the world premiere in Tallinn Albania decided to nominate the film for an Oscar.

Two inseparable near-middle-age brothers live together. They are identical twins and deaf-mutes. They are often visited by Ana, the girlfriend of one of the brothers. It is like a small idyll in a world of silence. When driving home one evening, the vision of the brother at the wheel blurs. Doctors explain that it is a genetic disease that ends in blindness. And this concerns both brothers. Their life will move from the world of silences into a world of darkness. Ana makes the men a cup of coffee, helps them put on new shoes, and the brothers make an existential decision.

The author describes the film as an existential drama. The story told in the film is simple and clear, but with mise-en-scènes the director skilfully creates an emotion that stays with you for a long time. And the deeply perceived role performances of the actors – twin brothers Rafael and Edgar Morais – must definitely be applauded.

Mihkel Möölman