Ukrainian State Film Agency urges Tallinn Film Festival to cancel screening of film about Ukrainian refugee and Russian man

The State Film Agency of Ukraine has called on the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) to refuse to screen the film Deaf Lovers by Russian director Boris Guts. Source: State Film Agency of Ukraine Quote: "Given Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the numerous sufferings of the Ukrainian people, it is especially important to ensure that cultural platforms do not become tools for films that blur the boundaries of understanding the reality of Ukrainians."

Details: The Ukrainian agency also noted that "providing the opportunity to screen Russian films in the current context carries the risk of propaganda that justifies aggression and may be part of the aggressor's information strategy".

Nonetheless, the State Film Agency thanked the organisers of the Tallinn Film Festival for the opportunity to present Ukrainian films at the event. What is wrong with the film Deaf Lovers?

Deaf Lovers was directed by Russian filmmaker Boris Guts. Although he currently lives in Europe, he worked for a long time on Russian television.

The film tells the story of the love between a Ukrainian immigrant and a Russian man, both played by Russian actors Daniil Gazizullin and Anastasia Shemyakina.

The Ukrainian character is, of course, played by a Russian actress.A still from the film Deaf Lovers

It is interesting that the Black Nights Film Festival selected Deaf Lovers for the programme of the 28th edition of the film review, which also has a separate programme of new Ukrainian films. "This year, there is a programme called Standing with Ukraine, and in it, among Ukrainian films, the film Deaf Lovers by Russian director Boris Guts suddenly appears... This is 'standing with Ukraine'," Ukrainian writer and director Iryna Tsilyk commented.

The film is presented in the main competition programme. The screenings are scheduled for 17, 18 and 20 November. Standing with Ukraine programme

However, the festival offers a good selection of new Ukrainian films: Peaceful People by Oksana Karpovych, The Editorial Office by Roman Bondarchuk, Porcelain War by Slava Leontiev and Brendan Bellomo, U Are the Universe by Pavlo Ostrikov, A Sentimental Journey to the Parajanov Planet by Taras Tomenko and Dear Beautiful Beloved by Yurii Rechynskyi. About the festival The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) is the largest film festival in Northern and Eastern Europe.

It was first held in 1997. Since 2014, it has been one of the world's 15 A-category film festivals, along with the Venice, Cannes and Berlin film festivals. Each year, the festival programme includes approximately 250 feature films and 300 short films from around the world.

In 2024, the Black Nights Film Festival is taking place from 8 to 24 November.

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