Today, PÖFF invites audiences on a cinematic journey around the world. Viewers can, for instance, descend with the Chinese mafia into the Argentine underworld, explore the landscape of contemporary Turkish art alongside two hipsters, or even spend an evening as a hen in a Greek seaside restaurant, which has been made possible by the veteran filmmaker György Pálfi.
Friday opens with a strong and diverse international lineup. The day begins with Lav Diaz’s epic historical drama Magalhães, which transports viewers into the world of 16th-century maritime expeditions and the obsessions that drove them. Among the most notable premieres are the moving Spanish drama The Dashed Lines and the sharp, playful Turkish satire Dump of Untitled Pieces, both offering fresh perspectives on artistic and emotional landscapes.
The evening continues with emotionally resonant films crafted with notable social sensitivity. Round 13 explores a family’s resilience and the power of love in life’s most challenging moments, while Iranian director Ali Asgari’s Divine Comedy provides an incisive and darkly humorous examination of censorship within Iran’s film industry.
Friday concludes with the thrilling crime drama Street Wanderers, which immerses viewers in Argentina’s criminal underground. Inspired by true events, the film interweaves themes of mafia violence, immigrant communities, and moral conflict providing a compelling finale to PÖFF’s Friday program.
All films screening at PÖFF on Friday can be found here.
14 November, Friday at 17:45 Apollo Kino Solaris
Director: L. Diaz
Countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, Taiwan
Magalhães is an epic and visually arresting historical drama from Filipino director Lav Diaz, portraying the famed Portuguese explorer not as a traditional hero but as a man haunted by ambition and inner turmoil. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is the Philippines’ submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature.
14 November, Friday at 18:00 Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers
Director: A. Fazáns
Country: Spain
The Dashed Lines is a warm, music-infused story about two lonely individuals who discover unexpected understanding in one another. Fifty-year-old Bea and twenty-eight-year-old Denis meet by chance, and their connection alters the trajectories of both their lives. Director Anxos Fazáns offers a gentle, sincere film about people learning once again to listen to life’s rhythms.
14 November, Friday at 18:30 Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers
Director: M. Kuru
Country: Turkey
Dump of Untitled Pieces is a witty, playful satire that exposes the illusions and egos of the art world. The story follows photographer Asli and her friend Murat, who strive despite poverty and isolation to break through with their work, which the world stubbornly refuses to acknowledge. Director Melik Kuru blends humor and irony with sharp critique to craft a perceptive, memorable film.
14 November, Friday at 19:15 Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers
Director: M. A. Nahdi
Countries: Tunisia, Cyprus, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Round 13 is a deeply affecting drama about a former boxer whose life is upended when his son is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The family’s struggle illuminates themes of love, courage, and resilience transcending the world of sport and physical strength. Tunisian director Mohamed Ali Nahdi delivers an emotionally powerful and moving story.
14 November, Friday at 20:15 Apollo Kino Plaza
Director: A. Asgari
Countries: Italy, France, Germany, Turkey
Divine Comedy is Ali Asgari’s sharp, sardonic satire on the limits of creative freedom and the realities of censorship in Iran. Bahram Ark plays a fictionalized version of himself as a filmmaker attempting to bring his work to local audiences, navigating a maze of absurd bureaucracy and personal doubt. The result is a bold, meta-textual, and incisive commentary on artistic resistance.
14 November, Friday at 21:15 — Apollo Kino Solaris
Director: G. Pálfi
Countries: Germany, Greece, Hungary
Hen is a bold and deeply allegorical work by György Pálfi, in which a farm escapee chicken wanders into a Greek beachside restaurant and witnesses the corrupt and brutal nature of human society. Combining Pálfi’s signature experimental style with surprising warmth, the film offers a sharp yet moving meditation on freedom and the human condition.
14 November, Friday at 21:45 — Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers
Director: J. M. Hsu
Countries: Argentina, Peru
Street Wanderers is a crime thriller inspired by real events, guiding viewers through Argentina’s hidden criminal underworld, where rival Chinese mafia clans wage a brutal war within the immigrant community. Director Juan Martín Hsu delivers a tense, engaging film that brings a fresh, international perspective to classic genre cinema.