Satisfaction lies in mindful repetition, the discovery of endless richness in subtle variations on familiar themes. Find out what day #5 at Black Nights has in store!
Repetition is often used to reach a meditative state; in chants, by counting beads. In a poem by Russian poet Varlam Shalamov, a character keeps repeating a word so as not to fall asleep - and die - in the harsh climate of a Stalinist prison camp. Repetition is also the mother of learning, state proverbs from every corner of the world.
A knowing, which marketeers gladly use in their favour. The more we see - let’s say - a Nike logo worn by others, the more the brand will become part of our world. But did you know, that Nike was a dying business in the 80’s? Until a collaboration with a sports hero brought the brand the fame they needed: and became a great example of America’s love affair with consumer capitalism and celebrity culture.
One man who hopes not to repeat his actions on the other hand is the Kazakh Kermek, who was just released from prison. He is convinced to not be burned by the same flame twice, and sets out with a different plan.
See these films and a few more of our selections for today below.
Or check out today’s full schedule here.
19:00 | Coca-Cola Plaza 7 + Q&A with Dmitriy Rudakov, Polina Demina
22:00 | Virtual Hall
“Sententia” is a title from “Kolyma Tales” by Russian poet Varlam Shalamov who spent seventeen years in Stalinist prison camps. The character in the story knows that he must not fall asleep in the harsh climate in the forest-felling grounds and he therefore keeps repeating an unfamiliar word that has somehow come to his mind: “Sententia!”.
The film portrays the last days of the life of the writer in a desolate home for the elderly. A visiting literary scholar and his assistant try to catch every word and letter in order to record the last verses created by the genius before the very end.
Sententia, competing in our First Feature Competition, explores the relationship between writer and the authorities in the Soviet society and captures the oppression of the era by using 16 mm black-and-white film.
19:00 Apollo Solaris 3
22:00 Virtual Hall
In the 1980s, Nike was a struggling business. The company’s decision-makers invited rising basketball star Michael Jordan to work with them. As Jordan became the greatest player of all time, successive models of his shoes became a market sensation.
This documentary shows the social, cultural, and racial significance of these shoes as a symbol, and how ground-breaking marketing strategies created a billion-dollar business. A fascinating parable of America’s love affair with consumer capitalism and celebrity culture.
19:15 Coca-Cola iSense + Q&A with Mika Kaurismäki, Kari Heiskanen, Pertti Sveholm
On a deserted Walpurgis Night that is devoid of people due to the coronavirus, physician Risto manages to score some wine at a bar of his friend Heikki, in order to dilute his worries over a marriage crisis. The men’s cosy evening takes an unexpected turn when an uninvited guest pops in and refuses to leave. Juhani, who introduces himself as a social worker, seems to have a much larger burden to carry than the two friends’ heart troubles put together.
Kaurismäki, who brought a new breathing and life to the Finnish film scene together with his brother Aki in the 1980s, does not see the corona situation as an obstacle to filmmaking, but takes it as a cool challenge – he has always preferred a small team and a small production.
Part of our Official Selection - Competition
20:30 Coca-Cola Plaza 6
23:45 Virtual Hall
A Venice film festival selected film; a warm-hearted comedy about Kermek, who has just completed his prison term and returns to his native parts. But a lot has changed since he was last here. A gang rules the area, and they have some influence over Kermek’s girlfriend Eva.
Kermek has thought things through and doesn’t intend to have anything to do with the local criminals. He has a plan. With Eva at his side, he wants to open a real cinema in the Kazakh mountains. Will Kermek’s love of Alain Delon be strong enough to keep him out of the violent clutches of the mafia?
21:15 Apollo Solaris 3
The sweltering summer heat beats down on a sterile residential estate in the suburbs of Rome. Many a family lives here that no longer belongs anywhere. There is a mysterious sense of unease that can explode at any moment.
The Italian D’Innocenzo brothers have created a wild and astonishingly mature film that combines the bitterness of Kurt Vonnegut’s vision of America with the kind of folksy, humane sense of irony familiar to us from the work of Sergio Citti. A story about women and men who see their hopes and dreams falling by the wayside all too soon.
Today, the program of PÖFF Shorts starts with a few exciting competition programmes, like Shorts New Talent Competition: Live Action or the National Competition of Estonian Films. Also today: the yearly Rejected Shorts - a compilation of the best of 'failures'. Always good for a laugh and a cringe! Check out the whole programme of PÖFF Shorts for more surprising programmes and themed casettes.