Mother was screened in the First Feature Competition section of the Festival. The producers of the film are Bojan Kanjera and Jure Pavlović (Sekvenca, Croatia), Biljana Tutorov (Wake Up Films, Serbia), Quentin Lauren (Les Films De L‘oel Sauvage, Francuska) and Srđan Šarenac (Novi Film, BiH). 

'The premiere went great! First impressions are very good. The audience accepted 'Mother' very well. What I am particularly glad about is that everybody was very focused on watching the film and nobody left the hall during the screening, and after the screening there were a lot of interesting questions during Q & A. I hope that this is the beginning of a successful festival life of the film', said director Jure Pavlović, also screenwriter of Mother, after the premiere. 

Daria Lorenci-Flatz added: 'This is my first time in Tallinn, and I am thrilled! The city is wonderful, and I am so sorry that I am staying here for such a short time. Tonight is the first time I’ve seen the film, anyway. I am very pleasantly surprised considering that 'Mother' is a very particular film in which I am actually in the frame all the time. It was rather demanding to watch myself for so long, but I’ve managed to distance myself from it and the film has left a very strong impression on me, a very emotional one. I think we did a great job and I am very happy we are here.'

The story of the film Mother follows Jasna, who after many years of absence, travels back from Germany to her native village in southern Croatia to secretly move her sick old mother Anka to a nursing home. Although physically frail, Anka’s body still radiates daunting authority over Jasna, which instantly reduces Jasna back to the state of a frightened little girl. Will Jasna muster courage to face her past or once more run for the hills? 

Apart from Mother, additional seven Croatian films and one project in the industry program will screen during the Festival in Tallinn. Furthermore, director Arsen Anton Ostojić is the member of the international jury which will decide on the best film in the First Feature section.  

Started in 1997, the Tallinn 'Black Nights' Film Festival (PÖFF) has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe hosting around 80 000 guests each year. This year, the Festival will screen 540 films, of which 50 will have their world or international premiere. As of 2014, the Festival holds the FIAPF accreditation (International Federation of Film Producers) for holding an international competition program which puts the festival in the so-called A category of film festivals, alongside other 14 festivals in the world. You can find more details at the official festival website.

Cover photos: World premiere of Mother at Tallin 'Black Nights' Film Festival