Today’s picks are an ode to everything extraordinary that life has to offer. These stories offer relatable heroes and compassion, humorous self-irony and moments to really cheer on to.
“The Moon Is Upside Down” is a humorous portrait of three characters who grapple with an insatiable yearning for connection. However, in the film "Death is a Problem for the Living", two friends, Risto, who transports the dead, and Arto, a kindergarten teacher, meet by chance, but the profitable business partnership that is developing in front of them must go perfectly according to plan in order to get out of it alive.
The men's business pales in comparison to Ann Hunter's plans to crack down on corrupt officials who think they can simply throw the elderly out of society in the maddeningly tense thriller “The G”. “Misericordia”, which analyzes how the environment affects the life of a person who is unable to change or replace it due to their disability, also fights in a sincerely moving tone.
The director Radu Jude, who won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale with his previous feature film "Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn", offers us a cold-blooded drama-comedy “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World" about the rough journey of a man paralyzed after a work accident to fame.
Take a look at the entire schedule here.
Director: Loren Taylor, country: New Zealand
11th of November, Saturday at 21:30, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with film crew
“The Moon is Upside Down”, is an uproarious and cleverly dark-humoured rollercoaster. Against the backdrop of New Zealand's stunning countryside and gritty urban suburbs, three characters grapple with an insatiable yearning for connection. Director Taylor's directorial finesse blends humour and introspection, she invites the audience to both chuckle at life's absurdities and ponder the deeper, often bittersweet, aspects of the human experience.
Director: Karl R. Hearne, country: Canada
11th of November, Saturday at 22, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with film crew
Former alcoholic Ann Hunter, or G, played by the great Dale Dickey (“Winter’s Bone”, “Breaking Bad”), has turned her life around and together with her husband moved to an unnamed American suburb to be closer to family. One day, they suddenly find out that their home and everything they own have been targeted by corrupt officials who work with elderly care facilities. ”The G” is an original gripping thriller, which can also be interpreted as black humour against everything that is happening in our sick society today.
Death is a Problem for the Living
Director: Teemu Nikki; country: Finland and Italy
11th of November, Saturday at 16:30, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Risto has a small business – transporting the dead. He's a gambling addict. Neighbour Arto works at a kindergarten but is fired from his job for potentially endangering the children. He has a medical phenomenon – the man lacks most of his brain. Both have reached a dead end in family life as well. This is how they find each other and together they find a dark but lucrative job. Teemu Nikki has quickly become one of the most important directors of Finnish cinema.
Director: Laszló Csaki, country: Hungary
11th of November, Saturday at 22:15, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
World premiere with film crew
Surely everyone who grew up before 1989 on the “eastern side” of the Iron Curtain will relate to this astonishing animation. The film follows three young Hungarians, who decide to travel to the West with fake train tickets. What starts as a fun idea turns quickly into a lucrative black-market job model. Soon the authorities are on their tracks. The film is based on an original idea by Gabor Sipos, who produced the Oscar-winning “Son of Saul”.
Director: Emma Dante, country: Italy
11th of November, Saturday at 19:30, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
International premiere with film crew
This is Emma Dante's third feature film. The first two premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Three prostitutes live in the wasteland by the sea, where a village of outcasts has emerged. It is life in a harsh reality of poverty, ignorance, and violence. And the only ray of light in their lives is Arturo, whom they care for together. The young man is a weak-minded child in an adult body. What will the fate of this young man be in an environment he has not chosen and cannot choose because of his disability?
Vera And The Pleasure Of Others
Director: Romina Tamburello, Federico Actis; country: Argentina
11th of November, Saturday at 19:15, Kino Artis
In this funny, energetic and a bit naughty debut, we explore the point of view of a 17-year-old girl who is coming of age and reaches sexual awakening which is a great twist to the typical male teenager finding an output for his sexual needs. Something absolutely unpredictable and new from Argentina, pointing out fresh voices to keep an eye on. A film that is memorable and will unlock every viewer’s internal teenager and lighten your mood.
Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World
Director: Radu Jude, countries: Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
11th of November, Saturday at 15:30, Kino Sõprus
The director Radu Jude, who won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale with his previous feature film "Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn", is back with a work that combines absurdity, comedy and drama. The focus of the film is production assistant Angela, who seems to find a suitable candidate for the occupational safety video - a semi-paralyzed worker Ovidiu. A scandal soon erupts. The film premiered at the Locarno festival, where it received a special jury award.