Saturday's program at PÖFF explores family models. Illusory role models, examples placed in silence, as well as those that are irrevocably broken. Today's films offer a direct and honest opportunity to view a family as it is. At once tender and empowering, often unifying yet inevitably divisive.

Today, PÖFF cinemas will be filled with thought-provoking stories about parents trying to protect their children. About children trying to understand their parents. And about people trying to find a place between the two. This world, woven together with fragile threads, can become the most important refuge or, conversely, an inescapable labyrinth.

The day opens with Mila, who faces the inevitable truth in the film Mama when she returns to her homeland after 15 years of working in another country and discovers that the family she sacrificed herself for has moved on with their lives. The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo opens the door to a completely different form of family: a community as a chosen family, where love and fear collide in the harsh Chilean desert. Both films create a telling example of how even those who are not related by blood, but by free choice, can become a family.

The Good Daughter allows the audience to see through the eyes of a child what it means to love a parent who gives and takes so much at the same time. Father takes the viewer into the depths of bitter guilt and asks whether a person can ever fully forgive themselves after making an irreversible mistake. Both films create a kind of counterbalance to the previous ones, speaking of unconditional love that does not disappear even when reason refuses to understand.

As the evening progresses, viewers can experience the suspense that stems from the unfulfilled dreams of parents. Admission and Under Your Feet reveal how pressure over children's futures can lead family members into a dangerously tense situation. Saturday ends with the moving story of a mother in the film Elena's Shift, who prioritizes justice, dignity, and self-worth, but in the process must decide where her heart lies and where her family belongs.

Discover all the films screening at PÖFF today HERE

Mama

15 November, Saturday at 15:00 at Apollo Kino Plaza
Director: O. Sinai
Countries: Poland, Italy, and Israel

Mama tells the story of Mila, who has worked abroad for 15 years for the sake of her family's future, but upon returning home discovers that life has moved on without her. Her unexpected return reveals painful truths and forces her to confront a past she has distanced herself from. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, this film paints a sensitive and universal portrait of the sacrifices made for the sake of family and the price they exact.

The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo

15 November, Saturday at 16:30 at Apollo Kino Plaza
The film is presented by the producer
Director: D. Céspedes
Countries: Chile and France

Director Diego Céspedes' gripping drama intertwines Latin American magical realism and a deep commitment to family, telling a story of fear, anger, and invisible tenderness. The film, which won an award in the "Un certain regard" program at Cannes, represents Chile in the Oscar category for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Good Daughter

15 November, Saturday at 17:30 at Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers in attendance
Director: J. de P. Solvas
Country: Spain

All children need a mother and father. No child deserves to see their parents go through an ugly divorce.
The Good Daughter focuses on teenager Carmela and her complicated relationship with her abusive father. Meetings supervised by a social worker force the girl to make a painful choice, while her love for her father inevitably begins to crumble. The result is a powerful and empathetic social drama, carried by a painfully topical theme.

Father

15 November, Saturday at 17:30 at Kino Sõprus
Director: T. Nvotová
Countries: Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Poland

A psychological drama inspired by real life about a father who discovers, too late, that he has left his young daughter in the car on a hot day. The film follows the man's struggle with feelings of guilt, false memories, and the pain of survival. Premiered in Venice and Slovakia’s submission for the Oscars, Father tells a story of an innocent human mistake that changes life forever.

Admission

15 November, Saturday at 18:00 at Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers in attendance
Director: Q. Hsu
Country: Taiwan

Admission follows parents who are trying to get their son into an elite school, but find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into doubt and hidden disappointment. Conversations in a hotel room reveal that there is much more to a place at school than educational ambition. The result is a truly compelling drama about how a child's future brings with it the hopes and wounds of their parents.

Under Your Feet

15 November, Saturday at 19:30 at Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers in attendance
Director: Cr. Bernard
Country: Spain

Under Your Feet follows Isabel, who has recently divorced and is moving into a new apartment building with her children, unaware that the low rent comes with mysterious rules and strange noises coming from the walls at night. Insomnia, anxiety, and inexplicable events gradually push her to the brink of mental breakdown. The thriller is made truly suspenseful by the performances of Maribel Verdú and Berlinale Silver Bear winner Sofía Otero.

Elena's Shift

15 November, Saturday at 21:00 at Apollo Kino Plaza
World premiere with filmmakers in attendance
Director: S. Tsivopoulos
Country: Greece
Music by: Mick Pedaja

Elena's Shift tells the tale of a single Romanian mother living in Athens, whose life falls apart after she is unfairly dismissed from her job. Elena turns to a charismatic lawyer who helps her stand up for herself and fight injustice. The result is a moving story about a woman's strength, identity, and learning to love again, accompanied by a soundtrack created by Mick Pedaja.

Courtesy PÖFF Elise Jagomägi

Video Bruno Chatelin