It’s my great pleasure to be previewing, as well as covering, the Critics Picks section for this year’s PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, taking up the mantle from the great Jeremy Clarke. His enthusiasm, as well as that of our editor, for this Festival has meant the bar has been set high for the 10 films competing in the section. Jeremy covered every film since the inception of the section, in 2022. He temporarily stepped back this year.
While a relative PÖFF newbie, I am no stranger to the rigours of an international film festival. Some, which shall remain unnamed, can feel like glorified Hollywood showcases, but at their best a film festival is where one emerges from cinema energised by what you’ve just seen, knowing that this is the environment to discover new and exciting stories.
We’re looking to bounce back this year from what Jeremy described as a slight dip in form compared to the 2023 edition. What is certainly carrying forward is the international flavour, with numerous countries from across the globe submitting World Premieres that show the world from their point of view. Which, after all, is one of the greatest joys of a film festival, isn’t it?
Two of the titles that jump out to me immediately are from countries far apart in distance, but both sharing a theme of redemption. Mo Papa, the festival opener, comes to Tallinn as something of a hometown hero. It’s the follow-up to Mo Mamma (pictured at the top of this article), the critically lauded 2023 drama from Estonian writer and director Eeva Mägi. The second of a thematic trilogy, if follows 28-year-old Eugen (Jarmo Reha), just released from prison for an accident that killed his younger brother, blame and trauma threaten to sabotage his road to redemption.
Another man looking for a second chance is Jorge (Fabián Arenillas) in Matías Szulanski’s A Summer Tale. A Buenos Aires hustler who has burned every bridge through his vices, a near-fatal heart attack prompts him to prove he is a better man, or at least convince his daughter that he might be. Everyone loves an irredeemable scoundrel, with Arenillas earning comparisons to Robert De Niro in the festival literature. High praise indeed.
As a lover of LGBTQ+ cinema, I’m excited to see The Silent Virgin (pictured just below), Xavi Sala’s portrait of a young woman named Valeria (Zamira Franco) who embarks on a Queer romance that puts her at odds with her repressive mother, as well as a conservative Mexican society. Latin America has often produced some incredible Queer stories (2018’s A Fantastic Woman remains a personal favourite), and I’m intrigued to see another tale of identity and defiance.
The personal challenges of fighters are explored in Jurgis Matulevičius’ China Sea and Mohamed Ali Nahdi’s Round 13. The first sees a shamed Lithuanian Martial Artist (Marius Repšys) to hide out in a friend’s Taiwanese restaurant, where he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that offers him a way out of his violent past. The latter film takes us to Tunisia where a former boxer (Helmi Dridi) faces an opponent for fearsome than anything he saw in the ring, as his son grapples with a brain tumour. Both promise some heart-rending moments of personal strength.
I was intrigued by the inventive nature of Iran drama Oh, What Happy Days!, where a family controversy unfolds during the course of a group video call. Even more intriguing is the prospect of seeing actors from either side of the country’s restrictive borders communicate in a way that only this scenario can offer. Elsewhere, Argentina’s gritty, real-life inspired drama Street Wanderers stands out in a line-up of more individual stories; Belgian filmmaker Laurent Micheli’s follow up to 2016’s Even Lovers Get The Blues, Nino In Paradise, promises a rush of youthful exuberance; while Taiwan’s That Burning House takes on the social care system in a way that feels powerful and intriguing.
Finally, Junna Chif’s Canadian entry, Invisibles, tackles subjects that mainstream cinema may not be as comfortable exploring. Nadia Essadiqi, a Canadian/Moroccan musician known as La Bronze, stars as a sex worker considering leaving her profession, before taking on a disabled client who challenges her world view. I’m hoping for something that avoids stereotypes and embraces the people behind the labels, which this film certainly promises.
The Festival promises that the Critics’ Picks Competition will bring “The newest currents in the art of film through the eyes of a film critic. For a demanding palate”. It remains to be seen whether the films satisfy this critic’s palate, but given the broad range of journeys to follow, I am excited to tuck in.
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Here is the full selection of 2025’s 10 films:
