Sexuality, righteousness lost to lust, passionate dreams of David Bowie – today’s PÖFF films talk about things that aren’t being talked about.
“Ciao Bambino” lures the viewer with its mesmerising camerawork into the underworld of Naples, which is anything but beautiful. “No Dogs Allowed” digs even deeper establishing itself as one of the most intriguing films of the 28th PÖFF.
Today’s selection also includes a naughty laugh! What happens to the world when all men are quarantined out of necessity and only women rule? The satirical “Protected Men” takes one on a twisted journey, throwing around a series of wickedly poignant questions in a dystopian world.
See all the PÖFF film screenings on Saturday here!
Director: S. Bache; country: Germany
Saturday, November 23 at 21.15 at Kino Artis
Gabo appears to be a normal 15-year-old teenager, but he has tendencies he can't control, even though he knows they are wrong. Director Steve Bache’s debut is not like any other coming-of-age film: it confronts taboo subjects that deeply shock the viewer and explores what we are born with and what life can turn us into.
Director: I. von Alberti; country: Germany
Saturday, November 23 at 19.30 at Kino Solaris
A satirical and daring thriller about a hypothetical world ruled by women. Tasked with creating a vaccine, “protected men” are caught in the web of deceit by chancellor Sarah Bedford. “Protected Men” plunges viewers into a dystopian Germany, transformed by a mysterious disease affecting only men, where the government has been taken over by women willing to do anything to stay in power.
Director: A. Avranas; countries: Greece, Sweden, France, Estonia, Germany, Finland
Saturday, November 23 at 17.00 at Coca-Cola Plaza
Sergei and Natalia, together with their two daughters, flee Russia to start a new life in Sweden, where they seek refuge after violent persecution in their homeland. The film director poignantly explores the devastating effects of trauma and despair on displaced families, and exposes the system where empathy and humanity are in danger of collapse.
Director: E. Pistone; country: Italy
Saturday, November 23 at 16.00 at Kino Sõprus
A beautifully crafted romantic crime film where “Gomorrah” meets Pawlikowski. “Ciao Bambino” is a story of passion and unresolved conflicts that haunt Attilio, a working-class young man from Naples who is tasked with protecting a charming prostitute. In their world, this inevitably leads to a forbidden and destructive love affair, which destroys the relationship between father and son.
Director: D. J. Haugerud; country: Norway
Saturday, November 23 at 21.30 at Kino Solaris
“Sex” is an intelligent Scandinavian film with a good sense of humour. Two chimney sweeps, both in heterosexual marriages, question their sexuality. One of them has had dreams in which he is in a passionate relationship with David Bowie, while the other recently had sexual intercourse with a male client. The film won three awards at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Director: M. Glasner; country: Germany
Saturday, November 23 at 20.30 at Coca-Cola Plaza
If you spotted a family drama titled “Dying” in the cinema schedule, you wouldn’t have guessed it was this year’s global festival hit and a magnet for audience. The film was awarded the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival. The German Film Academy has also named it the Best Feature Film of the year.