More programme announcements from Espoo Ciné!
Robin Campillo’s (BPM) new film Enzo premiered this year in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival. In this tender coming-of-age story 16-year-old Enzo defies his bourgeois family’s expectations by becoming a bricklayer. Amidst the construction work, his charismatic coworker Vlad opens new perspectives for him. Enzo was the final project of screenwriter Laurent Cantet, who passed away last year.
Also featured at Cannes in the Critics’ Week section was Alice Douard’s Love Letters, which explores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ families. The film follows Céline, who is expecting her first child—but it is her wife Nadia who actually carries and gives birth to the baby.
Anna Cezanave Cambet’s Love Me Tender tells the story of Clémence, a lawyer who leaves her marriage in search of her true self. She becomes embroiled in a custody battle, with her ex-husband Paul manipulating their son. The film was part of the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.
The Austrian film Bluish offers a melancholic glimpse into urban loneliness. Directed by Lilith Kraxner and Milena Czernovsky, it features a calmly observant camera following two twenty-somethings trying to find their place amid the bustle of Vienna.
The feel-good film Odd Fish, directed and written by Snævar Sölvason, is set in the Westfjords of Iceland, where two childhood friends run a fish restaurant. Their friendship is tested when one of them comes out as a trans woman.
The Crip Ciné series, which focuses on disability and showcases films by disabled filmmakers, returns to this year’s festival. A Second Life by Laurent Slama is set during the Paris Olympics and follows a hard-of-hearing woman seeking peace of mind while juggling stressful odd jobs.
Olivier Sarbil’s Viktor tells the story of a young deaf Ukrainian man raised on samurai films and war stories, whose repeated attempts to enlist are rejected. This documentary by the award-winning director portrays Viktor’s desire to find his place in a war he cannot hear.
In Life After, filmmaker Reid Davenport, who has cerebral palsy, investigates the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, a Californian woman who sparked national debate in 1983 when she sought the right to die by euthanasia. After years of legal battles, she vanished from the public eye—Davenport’s film explores what happened to her.
Rock music fans will be intrigued by Kronos Kairos, the directorial debut by Herra Ylppö. Surreal and science fiction-inspired, this film—still unreleased in theaters—is a must-see for lovers of unique artistic expression.
Espoo Ciné will be held this year from August 22–31, 2025 with the full program announced during the last week of July.
