The 15th Tartu Love Film Festival aka Tartuff screens 13 features and 4 documentaries with the majority of the films also available online for the first time in the festival’s history. The festival sets a thematic focus on art and artists.
Tartu Love Film Festival, organised by the team at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, will open the biggest open-air cinema in the Baltic countries for the 15th time on the historic Tartu Town Hall Square. The festival is to screen 11 features on the big outdoor screen erected on the square, while the rest of the programme will be screened in the Athena theatre, all free of charge. The festival will follow all governmental guidelines on seating dispersion and the provision of disinfectants.
The physical event of Tartuff runs from the 10th until the 15th of August and for the first time in its history, many of the films will be available online, as Elisa, the main partner of the Black Nights Film Festival will provide the Elisa Stage platform for this purpose. Viewing will be geographically limited to Estonian territory.
The festival will be opened by The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão by director Karim Aïnouz, the Cannes Un Certain Regard Best Film award winner at the Cannes film festival in 2019 that was Brazil’s submission for the Best International Feature Academy Award. Dubbed as a ’tropical melodrama’ the films tells a tale of two sisters, separated by a turn of events brought about by their conservative father, following their fates while hoping to be reunited one day.
Another festival favourite is the Iranian drama Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness, directed by Massoud Bakhshi which received the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and also participated in Berlinale’s Generation K+14 competition programme. The film centres on a popular TV show that exists in real life in Iran, where convicted wrongdoers can apply for a pardon. Maryam has accidentally killed her husband and is sentenced to death. The only person who can save her is Mona, her husband’s daughter who will also appear on the show, but is having doubts on providing the pardon.
Turkish-born director Ferzan Ozpetek, whose films regularly feature in the competitions of A-category festivals, offers his latest feature The Wheel of Fortune, and drama-comedy shot in Italy, telling the tale of a gay couple who’s diminishing relationship is put to a test as they are asked to babysit their friends’ children.
The most celebrated film in the programme comes from South Korea, however, as the House of Hummingbird has garnered over 50 awards internationally, including the best film awards at Tribeca and Berlinale Generation. Bora Kim’s film depicts the coming-of-age story of a 14-year-old affected by a bridge collapse that happened in Seoul in 1994.
In focus: artists and their worlds
As a result of an abundance of films on the topic, the organisers of Tartuff have set art as a thematic focus this year. According to the new head of the festival Kristiina Reidolv, the topic of art is not only relevant in the context of Tartu's aspirations towards art as a city and due to the recent anniversaries – art school Pallas turned 100 last year and Tartu Art Museum turns 80 this year – but in a wider context. "We want to raise art into the societal role as an instigator of social processes and as the philosophical trailblazer. Tartu is getting ready to become the European Capital of Culture (in 2024) and its banner "The Art of Survival" is socially and ecologically more relevant than ever before", she commented.
The art programme will be opened by the fresh documentary Banksy: Most Wanted that has screened only at a handful of times globally after it had its world premiere at the online edition of Tribeca. Aurélia Rouvier's and Seamus Haley's film is seeking answers to why the world-famous artist won't reveal his identity, creating an extremely engaging portrait of the artist / social warrior.
In 1964, sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) asked critic James Lord to pose for him for a portrait. It turned out to be an intense series of 18 meetings, during which the critic had a chance to learn about the artistic and emotional turmoil of one of the most well-known sculptors of the 20th century. Stanley Tucci's Final Portrait is an insightful depiction of this session, that produced the last finished artwork of the artist (played by Geoffrey Rush) who died two years later.
Aisling Walsh's Maudie is a first deeper introduction into the life of Canadian Naïve art painter Maude Lewis (1903-1970), who, despite having her body deformed by arthritis, painted, with astonishing enthusiasm flowers, animals and butterflies. These paintings covered the house where she lived in poor conditions with her husband. Sally Hawkins, who's made an unforgettable role as Maude, has received numerous awards for her role.
Matthew Taylor's documentary Marcel Duchamp: Art of the Possible offers a thorough insight into his legacy and influence on the evolution art by looking at the most influential modernist artist, with creative minds such as Jeff Koons, Marina Abramović and David Bowie providing comments on how Duchamp has affected their creative work.
In addition to the film screenings, Tartuff will see a series of art-themed events, including exhibitions. performances, symposiums and excursions. The programme is organised in cooperation with Tartu Art Museum, Tartu Art College, Estonian National Museum, Voronja Gallery, street art festival Stencibility and many others.
Full programme
Features
Acid | 2018, Russia, Aleksandr Gorchilin
Champions | 2018, Spain, Javier Fesser
Final Portrait | 2017, UK, Stanley Tucci
Flawless | Israel, 2018, Tal Granit, Sharon Maymon
Force of Habit | Finland, 2019, Reetta Aalto, Alli Haapasalo, Anna Paavilainen, Kirsikka Saari, Miia Tervo, Elli Toivoniemi, Jenni Toivoniemi
House of Hummingbird | South Korea, 2019, Bora Kim
Maudie | 2016, Canada-Ireland, Aisling Walsh
Schemers | UK, 2019, Dave Mclean
Storm Boy | Australia, 2019, Shawn Seet
The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão | Brazil, Germany, 2019, Karim Aïnouz
The Secret Lamb | Estonia, 1992, Lembit Ulfsak
The Wheel of Fortune | 2019, Italy, Ferzan Ozpetek
Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness | 2019, Iran, Massoud Bakhshi
Documentaries
Acasa, My Home | Romania, 2020, Radu Ciorniciuc
Banksy: Most Wanted | Aurélia Rouvier, Seamus Haley
The Self Portrait | Norway, 2020, Margreth Olin, Katja Høgset, Espen Wallin
Marcel Duchamp: Art of the Possible | 2020, USA-Germany, Matthew Taylor
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Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness |
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The Final Portrait |
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The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão |
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Tartuff |
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