In Focus: the Baltic States

From world premieres to the best of the year and from old gold to modern classics – the 30th PÖFF pays tribute to Baltic cinema in all its diversity. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian films in various formats and from different periods.

"I am Not a Tourist, I Live Here" and "Tallinn Market"

"I am Not a Tourist, I Live Here" and "Tallinn Market"

Local title
"Ma pole turist, ma elan siin" ja "Tallinna turg"
Director
Konstantin Märska, Peeter Urbla
Country
Estonia
A Photographer in Cannes

A Photographer in Cannes

A glimpse into the life of red carpet photographer Erlend Štaub.

Local title
Fotograaf Cannes'is
Title in Russian
Фотограф в Каннах
Director
Kullar Viimne
Country
Estonia
Amathia

Amathia

A bitter feud between two brothers becomes a ruthless game of chess, fuelled by ideology, ego, lies and fear.

Local title
Amathia
Title in Russian
Неведение
Director
Dean Radovanović
Country
Serbia, Estonia
Baltic UXO

Baltic UXO

Beneath the Baltic Sea’s calm surface lies a wounded world, still burdened by the weapons of war.

Local title
Lõhkekehad Läänemeres
Title in Russian
Взрывоопасное наследие Балтики
Director
Alexander Belinski, Agnė Dovydaitytė
Country
Lithuania, Germany, Latvia
Born in the Jungle

Born in the Jungle

A colourful animated adventure that makes the imagination run wild for both older and younger viewers!

Local title
Džunglis sündinud
Title in Russian
Рождённая в джунглях
Director
Edmunds Jansons
Country
Latvia, Poland, Czechia
Christmas in Vigala

Christmas in Vigala

The Christmas of 1905 in Vigala is not a peaceful holiday.

Local title
Jõulud Vigalas
Title in Russian
Рождество в Вигала
Director
Mark Soosaar
Country
Estonia
DICE-CHING-O-MAT

DICE-CHING-O-MAT

Roll the dice and choose: rewind, replay, or fast-forward through a life that mostly happened without you.

Local title
Saatuse täringud
Title in Russian
Игра в кости судьбы
Director
Kristijonas Vildziunas
Country
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
i want to be human

i want to be human

Behind iron bars and stone walls, men stripped of freedom search for dignity and redemption.

Local title
tahan olla inimene
Title in Russian
Я хочу быть человеком
Director
Rinaldas Tomaševičius
Country
Lithuania
Ice, Men and a Starling

Ice, Men and a Starling

While most pensioners are slowing down, one 87-year-old is preparing for a final high-speed race across the ice.

Local title
Jää, mehed ja kuldnokk
Title in Russian
Лёд, мужчины и скворец
Director
Mihkel Oksmann
Country
Estonia
In the Shadow of Death

In the Shadow of Death

One of the most outstanding Latvian films based on a short story by Rudolfs Blaumanis.

Local title
Surma varjus
Title in Russian
В тени смерти
Director
Gunars Piesis
Country
Latvia
JJ: Every Inch a King

JJ: Every Inch a King

A new documentary about Jüri Järvet, Estonia’s most internationally successful and best-known actor.

Local title
Jüri Järvet: Iga toll kuningas
Title in Russian
Юри Ярвет: каждый дюйм король
Director
Taavi Arus
Country
Estonia
Kingpins

Kingpins

Run Paula Run! A heist comedy fuelled by adrenaline, romance, film references, and killer tunes.

Local title
Kõigil on raha vaja
Title in Russian
Всем нужны деньги
Director
Kristians Riekstins
Country
Latvia
La Pietà

La Pietà

These seven siblings saw the glaciers disappear long before anyone else noticed.

Local title
Halastus
Title in Russian
Пьета
Director
Pepe Andreu, Rafa Molés
Country
Iceland, Lithuania, Spain
Letters from the Silenced Country

Letters from the Silenced Country

A portrait of contemporary Belarus told through the voices silenced by an autocratic regime.

Local title
Kirjad vaigistatud maalt
Title in Russian
Письма из страны молчания
Director
Andrei Kutsila
Country
Poland, Germany, Lithuania
Lex Julia

Lex Julia

A one-night stand or rape? Victim or coward? Three people on an island confront a shared past.

Local title
Lex Julia
Title in Russian
Lex Julia
Director
Laura Hyppönen
Country
Finland, Poland, Estonia, Sweden
Living On

Living On

Art therapy, para-archery and summiting peaks: life on the front line against an enemy five times larger.

Local title
Elame edasi
Title in Russian
Жить дальше
Director
Nerijus Milerius
Country
Lithuania, Ukraine
Memory from the Sea

Memory from the Sea

Amber washes up on the shore after a storm. Just like everything else worth collecting.

Local title
Pärast tormi
Title in Russian
После бури
Director
Francesco Rufini
Country
Lithuania
Minotaur

Minotaur

A brave, taut and explosive thriller from Andrey Zvyagintsev that brilliantly melds the personal and the political.

Local title
Minotauros
Title in Russian
Минотавр
Director
Andrey Zvyagintsev
Country
France, Latvia, Germany
Mo Amor

Mo Amor

A tender Estonian fairy tale about love in all its strange and beautiful forms.

Local title
Mo Amor
Title in Russian
Моя любовь
Director
Eeva Mägi
Country
Estonia
No Me Without You

No Me Without You

One fatal event reunites two estranged sisters.

Local title
Mind ei ole sinuta
Title in Russian
Меня нет без тебя
Director
Janno Jürgens
Country
Estonia
Oblivion

Oblivion

Maria enters her father’s life as a stranger, seeking traces of herself.

Local title
Kaduvik
Title in Russian
Исчезновение
Director
Danielius Minkevicius
Country
Lithuania
Peegel

Peegel

The history of Estonian sport through the photographs of Lembit Peegel.

Local title
Peegel
Title in Russian
Пеэгель
Director
Jaak Kilmi, Andres Keil
Country
Estonia
Red Snow

Red Snow

A Finnish black comedy with a Christmas feel, filmed in Estonia and served up with a twist.

Local title
Punased jõulud
Title in Russian
Красное Рождество
Director
Ilja Rautsi
Country
Finland, Estonia, Sweden
Riga my Love

Riga my Love

A punk-infused shot in the arm for documentary cinema – welcome to the world of artist Kara Popicon.

Local title
Riia mu arm
Title in Russian
Рига, любовь моя
Director
Karolina Peterson
Country
Latvia
Sandra: The Drift Queen

Sandra: The Drift Queen

A thousand horsepower, sideways and at full throttle.

Local title
Drifti kuninganna
Title in Russian
Сандра: Королева дрифта
Director
Juozapas Mikulėnas
Country
Lithuania
Sounds of the Desert

Sounds of the Desert

The roots of cosmic music, following the interplanetary sounds of Sun Ra’s Arkestra. What a trip!

Local title
Kõrbe helid
Title in Russian
Звуки пустыни
Director
Emilija Škarnulytė
Country
Lithuania, Norway
Supporting Role

Supporting Role

Awarded in Rotterdam, Beijing and Sarajevo, this surreal drama shows how a supporting role can outshine the lead.

Local title
Kõrvalosa
Title in Russian
Второстепенная роль
Director
Ana Urushadze
Country
Georgia, Estonia, Türkiye, Switzerland, USA
The Child

The Child

An intense relationship drama about a couple pushed to their limits on their quest to have a child.

Local title
Laps
Title in Russian
Ребёнок
Director
Linda Olte
Country
Latvia, Lithuania
The Crossroad Street

The Crossroad Street

A small street of just 800 metres on the outskirts of the Latvian capital, Riga.

Local title
Põiktänav
Title in Russian
Улица Поперечная
Director
Ivars Seleckis
Country
Latvia, USSR
The Devil's Bride

The Devil's Bride

A Lithuanian cult musical where a devilish marriage arrangement explodes into a wild and camp spectacle.

Local title
Kuradi mõrsja
Title in Russian
Чёртова невеста
Director
Arūnas Žebriūnas
Country
Lithuania
The Eternal Light

The Eternal Light

One of the most original Lithuanian films in film history.

Local title
Igavene valgus
Title in Russian
Вечное сияние
Director
Algimantas Puipa
Country
Lithuania
The opening ceremony of the 30th PÖFF and the opening film 'Ulya'

The opening ceremony of the 30th PÖFF and the opening film 'Ulya'

Join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival!

Local title
30. PÖFFi avatseremoonia ja avafilm 'Ulja'
Title in Russian
Торжественная церемония открытия 30-го PÖFF и фильм открытия «Уля»
Director
Viesturs Kairiss
Country
Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania
The Perfect

The Perfect

A lyrical, insightful psychological portrait of female dancers across generations and the sacrifices ballet demands.

Local title
Täiuslikud
Title in Russian
Совершенные
Director
Laura Liventaal
Country
Estonia
The Road Never Ends

The Road Never Ends

The mountains gave him everything he longed for. In the end, they took even more.

Local title
Lõputu tee
Title in Russian
Путь никогда не заканчивается
Director
Viktors Buda
Country
Latvia
The Shrew of Destiny

The Shrew of Destiny

Don’t judge a shrew by its cover!

Local title
Karihiirest kangelane
Title in Russian
Не судите землеройку по внешности!
Director
Marcin Wasilewski
Country
Poland, Lithuania
Three Weeks Under the Sea

Three Weeks Under the Sea

A prodigal son among thieves, bandits, lovers, and ghosts, in a world where honour and morals blur.

Local title
Kolm nädalat vee all
Title in Russian
Три недели под водой
Director
Martin Kuba
Country
Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania
To Die To Live

To Die To Live

Only the dead have seen the end of the war.

Local title
Surra, et elada
Title in Russian
Умереть, чтобы жить
Director
Yuliia Hontaruk
Country
Ukraine, Latvia, Slovakia
Toomas Leius. Life On the Line

Toomas Leius. Life On the Line

The contrasting extremes in the life of Toomas Leius, Estonia’s greatest male tennis player of all time.

Local title
Toomas Leius. Elu joonel
Title in Russian
Тоомас Лейус. Жизнь на грани
Director
Henrik Kalmet
Country
Estonia
Vesna

Vesna

A profoundly humanist drama of dignified Ukrainians against fascist occupiers.

Local title
Vesna
Title in Russian
Весна
Director
Rostislav Kirpicenko
Country
France, Lithuania, Estonia
When I Was a Child

When I Was a Child

French New Wave meets Lithuanian youth in a stylish coming-of-age story about love, freedom and finding yourself.

Local title
Kui ma laps olin
Title in Russian
Когда я был маленьким
Director
Algirdas Araminas
Country
Lithuania