PÖFF’s Tuesday lineup offers both emotional uplift and quiet revelations. In one cinema, there’s a dance with death; in another, a confrontation with regret. Between them pulses an unrelenting thirst for life, a spark that drives us to dream, rebel, and fight.
Today’s films open space for feelings and reflection. They Will Be Dust begins the evening as a tragicomic musical about mortality, while Father leads viewers to the edge of a psychological abyss, where a single moment of forgetfulness shatters everything. The Lost Dream Team tells a nation’s story through basketball, and Lunch: A Letter to America offers a sharp, heartfelt look at a divided society.
Meanwhile, Follies and Couture will explore love’s lighter, yet no less perilous, side, asking how far one can go before the way back to safety disappears.
See all of today’s PÖFF screenings here.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 18:00 — Apollo Kino Plaza
Dir. C. Marques-Marcet | Spain, Switzerland, Italy
A tragicomic musical about love balanced on the border between life and death. When seventy-something Claudia decides to end her life with dignity, her husband Flavio begins to question whether life is worth living without love. They Will Be Dust captures the raw emotional core of humanity — tender, chaotic, and profoundly moving.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 18:45 — Apollo Kino Plaza
Dir. Tereza Nvotová | Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland
Inspired by true events, Father follows a man whose brief lapse on a hot summer’s day leads to tragedy when he forgets his two-year-old daughter in a locked car. This exceptionally performed psychological drama explores guilt, grief, and the fragile process of learning to live again. Premiered in Venice’s “Orizzonti” section, and selected as Slovakia’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 18:45 — Apollo Kino Plaza
Dir. J. Pavlović | Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Italy
In 1991, just days after Yugoslavia began to disintegrate, its national basketball team claimed the European Championship title. The Lost Dream Team intertwines athletic triumph with political tragedy, showing how war tore apart even the most unified of teams. Through rare archival footage and intimate recollections, it paints a stirring portrait of a time when basketball meant far more than just a game.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 20:15 — Apollo Kino Solaris
Dir. E. K. Boulianne | Canada
A smart and playful comedy about a long-married couple who decide to spice up their relationship by exploring polyamory. François and Julie’s experiment in openness, however, leads to far more confusion than passion. Premiering in Locarno, Follies is a witty, disarming debut about love, desire, and the dangerous collision of intimacy and freedom.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 20:30 — Apollo Kino Plaza
World Premiere with filmmakers in attendance
Dir. G. Vassallo | Italy, USA
Eduardo, a Mexican-born cook at a Coney Island diner, crossed the desert 20 years ago in search of a better life, only to find himself, unexpectedly, at the heart of events during the final week of a U.S. presidential election. Avoiding clichés, Lunch: A Letter to America weaves together fragments of everyday life into a surprising, deeply human portrait of a nation divided yet bound by shared hopes.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 20:30 — Apollo Kino Plaza
Dir. Oliver Hermanus | United Kingdom, Sweden, USA, Italy
Starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, The History of Sound follows Lionel, who flees his small Kentucky hometown to study music in Boston, where he meets composer David. Between them grows a connection that transcends war and time, something that can never be put into words. A haunting, lyrical story of love and loss that premiered in competition at Cannes.
Nov 11, Tuesday, 20:45 — Apollo Kino Solaris
Dir. Alice Winocour | France
Three women’s lives collide in the whirlwind of Paris Fashion Week, where creativity and vulnerability entwine in one breathtaking portrait. Maxine (Angelina Jolie) faces an unexpected turn when she learns of her illness and finds solace in an old friendship. Couture is a moving, elegant meditation on visibility, resilience, and self-rediscovery. Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.