Zooming on the Baltics. Which films will you see in this year's ZOOM section?

Are you looking forward to the Festival? We are unveiling the first part of the programme. You'll see! From 20 to 25 September. We can already reveal that the non-competition ZOOM section will focus on Baltic cinema this year.

We will be screening internationally acclaimed feature films by three prominent female directors and a block of six short films. The Baltics are also the focus of a part of our Industry Programme.

Feature films

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Anna Hints (Estonia, France, Iceland)

The traditional Estonian smoke sauna is not only a place of physical cleansing, but also a symbolic cleansing; a place for sharing deepest traumatic experiences, and a place for shared, relieving laughter. In her profoundly powerful documentary, director Anna Hints takes us to this ancient place and explores through several sauna rituals, against the backdrop of the changing seasons, what it means to be a woman today. The film received the Best Director award in the documentary competition at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in the U. S. and has since taken the filmmaker almost around the world.

Slow

Marija Kavtaradzė (Lithuania, Sweden)

One day dancer Elena meets Dovydas, a sign language interpreter. Despite their immediate closeness and feeling that they have known each other forever, the bond that develops between them is unlike anything Elena has experienced before... In her romantic drama, Marija Kavtaradze explores the closeness and intimacy of two human beings, a relationship that defies stereotypes. She does so with great tenderness, fragility and understanding of her characters and their experiences. Since its premiere at Sundance, where it won the Best Director award, the film has been screened at dozens of international festivals and was named best Lithuanian film last year.

My Love Affair with Marriage

Signe Baumann (Latvia)

Zelma had been convinced since childhood that if she behaved like a good girl, she would surely meet love with capital L; love that would solve all her problems and give her life meaning. However, her very first shy interactions with the opposite sex showed that reality was uncomfortably far from her romantic notions. Signe Baumane, an independent Latvian animator living in New York, views the topic of love relationships and expectations associated with them with a slightly ironic detachment, spicing it all up with musical interludes of Greek chorus or a depiction of neurochemical processes in the brain. The film, which took seven years to make, won international acclaim, and last year won the main award at the Anifilm festival on home soil.

Short Films

Estonia

Sauna Day

Anna Hints, Tushkar Prakash

After their film Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash show that the smoke sauna can offer a place for relaxation to men, too. They take us into the sauna after a hard day's work and show that the seemingly tough exterior hides vulnerability, fragility and a desire for closeness. Sauna Day premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and will have its Czech premiere at Finále FF.

Sierra

Sander Joon

Father and son are losing in a car race. In order to win, the boy turns into a tyre... Director Sander Joon's memories of his childhood and his own relationship with his father were a major inspiration for this surreal animated ride. The film became a festival hit after its premiere, touring more than 100 festivals and winning 30 international awards.

Latvia

Limo

Tina Zarina

Riga, late evening in the near future. Arturs makes his living as a limousine driver, driving daily through the smog-ridden streets of the city centre, picking up passengers of all kinds. His every move or hint of emotion is carefully monitored by artificial intelligence... The retro-futuristic dystopia by director Tina Zarina, which does not deny foreign genre inspirations, was created with the help of virtual technologies and deals with the issue of relationship between humans and modern technology.

Resistance is futile

Armands Začs

After his suicide attempt, Mārtiņš spends time in a remote country house where two friends, Dainis and Aleksandrs, come to visit him. They spend a seemingly peaceful day together, but their nervousness is evident - how to rebuild their common bond, how to communicate with their friend... Armands Začs, director, screenwriter and experienced editor, returns to a personal story in the film, opening up an extremely important debate about mental health.

Lithuania

Techno, mama

Saulius Baradinskas

Adolescent Nikita loves techno and has one big dream: to go to Berlin and get into the legendary Berghain club. His mother Irena, a hard-working woman with a rough upbringing, has no idea of her son's aspirations, but Nikita is determined to follow his techno dream... Boldly colourful film full of beats is the second short film by talented director Saulius Baradinskas, and premiered at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival.

Cherries

Vytautas Katkus

It is a hot summer day and the branches of the cherry trees are bending under the weight of ripe fruit. A recently retired father has invited his adult son to help him with the harvest. The two men pick cherries in silence, and their shared memories slowly emerge from the past... Vytautas Katkus is one of the most outstanding contemporary Lithuanian artists. He has celebrated success with his short films all over the world, with their first screenings at major film festivals. Cherries premiered at the Cannes Festival.