Estonian folklore has always taught us to consider work as a sacred goal of life. Ho
should we think about work, which will soon be replaced by machines and working
for an universal pay won’t be necessary at all, like Elon Musk thinks? In the
documentary After Work, which explores the pivotal time and continentally different
aspects of the world of work, these questions are dissected with the same fine-tuned
juicy humor as Aki Kaurismäki does in his new film Fallen Leaves in which the
main characters's job loss turns out to be the best event in their lives.
Or instead, you can take a black humor spiced trip through the bureaucratic
system, which is offered by the charmingly genuine Bosnian Pot.'
PÖFF 2023 absurd pieces are here:
After Work
Director: Erik Gandini, countries: Sweden, Italy, Norway
5th of November, Sunday at 21 in Kino Artis
We don't live to work. Or do we? Erik Gandini takes an exciting journey to countries
with different work ethics to find out why we work so hard and what would happen if
we didn't have to anymore. What if artificial intelligence and robots take the jobs of
tens of millions of people? Would a universal citizen's wage motivate or make it
passive? A must for all workaholics.
The Hypnosis
Director: Ernst De Geer, countries:: Sweden, Norway, France
5th of November, Sunday at 21.15 in Apollo Kino Solaris
André and Vera are a young entrepreneurial couple. They get the opportunity to
pitch their female health app at a prestigious competition. Before going there, Vera
tries hypnotherapy to quit smoking. From this point, her attitude changes and André
starts to behave unexpectedly. Ernst De Geer's feature film debut is a fresh, modern
satire, peppered with situational comedy and relatable dialogues. The film premiered
at this year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where Herbert Nordrum won the Best Actor
Award.
The Universal Theory
Director: Timm Kröger, countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
5th of November, Sunday at 21.15 in Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Is the tragic story of an undiscovered genius unfolding in front of us, or are we
instead watching the paranoid delusions of an idiot clinging to obsessions? This
question is thrown into air by German director Timm Kröger, whose metaphysical
black-and-white thriller The Theory of Everything pays homage to old Hollywood,
reminding of Alfred Hitchcock's early work. The film premiered at this year's Venice
Film Festival.
Fallen Leaves
Director: Aki Kaurismäki, countries: Finland, Germany
Two lonely people from Helsinki lose meaningless jobs at the same time. The future
looks bleak, but their by-chance meeting in a karaoke bar gives faint hope that
something in life can turn out well. However, the path to love is winding and full of
obstacles. Fallen Leaves premiered in the competition program of the Cannes Film
Festival and also won the Jury Prize (Prix du Jury). Finland's nominee for the Best
Foreign Language Film Oscar
Bosnian Pot
Director: Pavo Marinković, countries: Croatia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina
5th of November, Sunday at 19.30 in Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
International premiere with the makers of the film
A slow-cooked meat and vegetable stew is an esteemed speciality of Bosnian cuisine.
Archival footage explains how Bosnian miners prepared the traditional dish to eat
together after the shift. Culinary history aside, in this modern social drama with
gentle humor and contagious optimism, we see the adventures of a "little person" in a
bureaucratic system where drastic steps must be taken to survive.