Exclusive: Paris-based genre specialist Reel Suspects has acquired international sales rights to Estonian director Monika Simets’ absurdist comedy. Black Holewhich was enjoying a whirlwind tour at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The movie is about the residents of a drab apartment building whose lives are turned upside down when a black hole mysteriously appears in a purple bush, and they find themselves confronted by aliens that change their lives forever.
Sergei and Marit, who dream of finding work abroad, end up in an extraterrestrial science experiment; Yuri, still living with his mother, falls in love with his voluptuous neighbor; Gertrude Marilis, who dreams of a world free of abusive men, finds shelter in the giant spider-infested apartment of brave bodybuilder Uma.
The screenplay was inspired by the short stories “The Spider” and “The Black Hole” by Armin Kõomägi and “A Life Worth Living” by Andrus Kivirähk.
With the film’s aesthetics inspired by the sci-fi works of David Cronenberg and Steven Spielberg. Black Hole marks a radical departure for Smits from her last fantasy film, a historical drama set in the 1950s Little Comrade.
“Black hole Matteo Lovadina, CEO of Reel Suspects, said the game is a wild cosmic thrill ride where aliens, lust, giant spiders, and cravings collide in bizarre fun and a comet like you’ve never expected.
The film had its world premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest in September, and also screened at the Warsaw Film Festival where it won the Free Spirit Award.
The movie is produced by Tallinn-based Amrion (Little Comrade) In a co-production with its longtime partner, Finland’s Aamu Film Company (Booth #6, The story of the woodcutter) Supported by the Estonian Film Institute, Eurimages, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Finnish Film Fund, Tartu Film Fund, Viru Film Fund, YLE, and Tugev Tuul Films.
The Tallinn Black Knights Film Festival takes place from November 18-24.
A source