Despite Backlash, Tallinn Film Festival Keeps Russian Film Deaf Lovers in Lineup

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has refused to remove Boris Guts's controversial film Deaf Lovers from its program, despite strong objections from Ukraine’s State Film Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The film, which portrays a romance between a Ukrainian refugee and a Russian man, has sparked significant backlash.

“The film will be screened at PÖFF because we did not select it randomly. It is included in the program because it is artistically and thematically sharp, allowing us to discuss current issues,” festival director Tiina Lokk told local outlet ERR.The festival also issued a statement to the public, emphasizing that "Deaf Lovers" is not a Russian film, according to ERR.

"The film is being heavily criticized by Russian opposition figures, Belarusians, and Ukrainians, all of whom view it from very different perspectives. This range of interpretations is what makes it so compelling," she explained.

In addition to the main competition program, Deaf Lovers was also included in PÖFF's special selection "With Ukraine." However, according to Ukraine's National Film Committee, this selection is also contentious, as the approach of Russian director Boris Guts could potentially justify Russian aggression.

"Given Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the suffering of a significant portion of the Ukrainian population, it is critically important to ensure that cultural platforms do not become tools that blur the boundaries of Ukrainians' understanding of reality," the National Film Committee of Ukraine wrote in their official statement to the PÖFF festival.

Following an appeal from Ukrainian filmmakers, the festival removed the film from the special selection. However, Deaf Lovers will remain in the main competition program and will be presented to the audience during the festival.

The film, which depicts a romance between a Ukrainian woman and a Russian man, includes a monologue by a Russian character expressing fatigue with the war, which critics argue implicitly sympathizes with the aggressor.