Festival Blog Saturday, November 8th

Saturday at the Cottbus Film Festival

Saturday at the 35th Cottbus Film Festival is devoted to Ukraine. The war is not over, and reports of attacks, destruction and suffering continue to mount. The Ukrainian Day is dedicated to the people who live with the consequences of war every day, with powerful, often deeply personal films. Once again this year, the FFC is inviting refugees from Ukraine to experience this special day with free admission.

For families, the film DETECTIVE BRUNO AND THE BALTIC GOLD by Magdalena Nieć and Mariusz Palej will be shown at Glad-House at 10 a.m. Oskar is looking forward to the summer holidays with his friend Bruno, an actor who suddenly receives an offer from Hollywood. But when a mysterious treasure map appears and Oskar's sister disappears, a turbulent adventure begins for the two of them.

At 12:30 p.m., Helen Takkin's LIFE AND LOVE, an elaborately staged historical drama from Estonia, will be shown on the chamber stage. In 1933, young Irma leaves her home village to start a new life in the city. Between bohemian life and social pressure, a destructive love story unfolds – a precise, visually impressive work about passion and self-determination in turbulent times.

In the afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., the TRANSYLVANIAN SHORTS will be shown in the Weltspiegel. Six short films showcase the full spectrum of young cinema – imaginative, humorous and with an unconventional view of the world.

At 4:15 p.m., Weltspiegel Hall 2 will screen HONEYMOON by Zhanna Ozirna, an intense chamber drama about a newlywed couple who are suddenly surrounded by the Russian army on the night before the war begins. Between love, fear and the will to survive, a deeply human film emerges about the fragility of everyday life.

At 8:45 p.m., THE LAST PROMETHEUS OF DONBAS by Anton Shtuka will celebrate its world premiere in the Weltspiegel Hall 3. The film follows workers at a thermal power plant in the frontline town of Kurakhove, who remain despite bombs and danger to supply their country with energy – a harrowing but hopeful testimony to human steadfastness.

At 9:30 p.m., TEMO RE  by Anka Gujabidze in the Weltspiegel Hall 2 concludes the day with an impressive visual study. Shot in black and white, the film shows the Georgian capital Tbilisi from the perspective of a motorcycle courier who reveals a whole panorama of urban life on his journeys.

As the FFC closing party, Glad House will be transformed into the stage for the Uni Fete – Where Diversity Dances from 10 p.m. onwards. With two floors, five DJs and a mix of hip-hop, R&B, pop, Latino, Afro, 90s/2000s and its own techno floor, the Uni Fete will be the grand finale of the festival – a night full of music, energy and community. Admission costs EUR 5.

Festival tickets are available online and at all venues.