Can love circles be reshaped into relationship triangles? Today's PÖFF selection attempts to answer this and brings incredibly colorful characters to the screen, whose stories range from shameless satires to painful dramas.
Friday's program kicks off the last PÖFF weekend with three world premieres. In the Main Competition section, director Mona Hoel's will present her deeply moving drama about an ailing mother who has to find a solution to her daughters' living arrangements. "The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo" lightens up the day with the story of a censorship agency director who fails to control his wife's heart. The film "Rimini", which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival main competition, adds fuel to the fire with black humor, where fading star Richie Bravo tries to do as little as possible while he lives.
See the full Friday PÖFF lineup here.
Friday 25 Nov, 20:30, Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with Q&A with director M. J. Hoel
Mona Hoel has written her name into the history of film by being the only Norwegian director who has taken part in the Dogma95 movement. The film covers the topic of domestic violence with a story full of nuances. Emma is a mother of two young daughters, and she lives apart from her still husband. After receiving a fatal diagnosis, she must resolve the most important thing: secure the future and safety of her daughters after she is gone.
The Rise & Fall Of Comrade Zylo
Friday 25 Nov, 18:30, Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with Q&A with director F. Koci and film editor Max Vonk
“The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo” is a masterful comedy about the darker side of Eastern European history. Comrade Zylo, head of Albania's censorship office in the 1970s, is a tyrannical bureaucrat who orders Demka, a talented writer, to draft an ideological speech. Demka soon realizes that he has a bigger concern: he is in love with Adila, Zylo's wife.
Friday 25 Nov, 18:00, Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with Q&A with director A. Bahrami
Bemani has been in prison for ten years for killing her husband. While in prison, her young child was taken from her and allegedly handed over to her husband's family. When she is released, the first thing she does is to look for her son. Ahmad Bahrami stands out as an auteur with a distinctive style with his two back-to-back works. “The Wasteland” is a film about revenge and hope, in which the author turns the simple image of a large hydraulic press into a powerful plot tool.
Friday 25 Nov, 17:00, Coca-Cola Plaza
After a huge amount of paperwork, a couple from Spain arrives at JFK to start a new life in the US. Just when they think that they are approved to immigrate, they suddenly learn that there is one final interview. In a very well-executed relationship drama, the viewer gets a glimpse of the immigration process in all its complexity, which will keep them at the edge of their seats.
Friday 25 Nov, 17:30, Kino Artis
World premiere with Q&A with director Sasha Kulak
Mara, a mythological figure that represents hope, wanders amid the protests in Belarus in 2020, reflecting the protesters' dreams colliding with a harsh reality. The demonstrations started after the presidential elections we brutally dispersed. Over 37,000 people were arrested as the violence spread all over Belarus. This is an experimental hybrid film-essay about the collective nightmare that Belarusian people face and still has not ended.
The film will be screened thanks to the effort of the exiled Belarusian film festival Northern Lights, which takes place in parallel to PÖFF.
Friday 25 Nov, 20:45, Coca-Cola Plaza
When the foundations of a person's home are shaken on a movie screen, the result can lean towards horror or comedy. Or both, as this film successfully proves. After a difficult divorce, 50-year-old Nadia finally finds a good apartment at a reasonable price. Everything seems too good to be true and the real reason for this bargain is soon revealed—the apartment comes with a crazy neighbor. This film is full of surprises: be prepared to both laugh and be shocked as you watch Nadia’s struggle.
Friday 25 Nov, 20:45, Apollo Kino Solaris
Richie Bravo's best days as a popular singer are long behind him. He has isolated himself from real life in the small resort town of Rimini, Italy, where he tries to make money with occasional concerts. Life in the summer town in the off season is unbearable, and the washed out rockstar flirts with his aging audience to feel a bit of the limelight . "Rimini" premiered in the main competition program of the Berlin Film Festival this year.
Other screenings with Q&As with guests
Karaoke, Q&A with director M. Rosenthal
The Invitation, Q&A with director and cinematographer F. Maltese
Long Time No Sleep, Q&A with director A. Godoy