TEHRAN – Four films by Iranian directors are being submitted to various categories at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, currently being held in the Estonian capital.
“It’s Winter” directed by Sajjad Imani and “K-Poper” directed by Ebrahim Amini will be screened in the main section of the festival.
A co-production between Iran, France, and Canada, “It’s Winter” tells the story of a young woman’s journey through a world of snow, silence, and invisible struggle. As winter approaches in Iran’s remote Zagros Mountains, 16-year-old Sogol lives a precarious life straddling the line between childhood and adulthood. Rooted in nature and sustained by tradition, her family’s existence is shaped by patriarchal customs and the pressures of an evolving world.
Despite having no formal education, Sogol dreams of a different future for his younger brother Delaram. She believes that education can break the cycles of tradition and open up new possibilities. Sogol decides to envision a future beyond the mountains for Delaram, but her delicate dreams are easily threatened by the harsh nature that surrounds her.
“K-Poper” is the story of a teenage girl from Iran who falls in love with a popular Korean K-Pop singer. She dreams of going to Seoul to see his performance and participate in the contest. She is allowed to participate in the contest, but her mother is strongly against her participation.
Additionally, “Like Friend, Like Deer,” directed by Malek Egbari, will be screened in the festival’s animated short section, and “A Perfect Maryam,” co-directed by Solmaz Etemazadeh and Ara Torosyan, will be screened in the short film category.
“Like Friend, Like Deer” is a story about people who are like nature.
“Perfect Mariam” is a story about a tense and emotionally charged household in which a young girl named Mina quietly observes the growing rift between her rebellious teenage sister, Mariam, and her authoritarian father.
The Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF – also known as Pimedate Ööde FilmiFestival) is held in Tallinn every November. It is the only FIAPF-accredited competitive feature film festival in Northern Europe.
The festival will feature screenings in seven competitive and non-competitive categories and will screen more than 200 films, including feature films and documentaries. Special programs dedicated to different subgenres highlight new discoveries and present the best selections from other festivals.
Black Night includes a variety of events, including the main festival and sub-festivals dedicated to youth and children’s films, short films, and animation. In addition, the extensive industry program will transform Tallinn and Tartu into a vibrant yet relaxed center of film culture, attracting more than 93,000 participants and 1,788 film professionals and journalists from all over the world in 2024.
The 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will run until November 23rd.
Photo: A scene from “K-Poper” by Iranian director Ebrahim Amini
SAB/