A Fever Dream Playing with Gender Roles - Must auk / The Black Hole at the European Film Festival Palić, 2025

Varianta în limba engleză poate fi accesată aici / The English version can be accessed here: agenda.liternet.ro/30442/Oana-Balaci/Un-vis-febril-care-se-joaca-cu-rolurile-de-gen-Must-auk-The-Black-Hole-la-Festivalul-European-de-Film-Palic-2025.

A fantastical dark comedy, the latest film by Estonian director-screenwriter Moonika Siimets marks the exploration of an antithetic genre for her, since she is known for the historical drama Seltsimees laps / The Little Comrade (2018). Based on three short stories by Andrus Kivirähk and Armin Kõomägi, Must auk / The Black Hole won the Free Spirit Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival and transports its audience into another dimension via the titular space object. In this brand-new universe, everything is possible, and all the bizarre happenings seem as normal as ever. If you want to immerse yourself in it, you must give up logic. You have been warned.


With its body horror elements and parodical touches, the film follows the story of six characters living in the same neighborhood, drifting through the town in search of a better life. Sirje (Anne Reemann) and Maret (Eva Koldits) are two best friends who try to find work - predominantly in Finland, since the country is more developed economically - but are out of luck until a friendly alien invites them to be guinea pigs for their research about the human species. The odd job pays well, and it is painless, but the girls' greed will ultimately lead them to a dead end.

On the other side, there is Uma (Rea Lest), a female coach with only male clients, and Marilis (Doris Tislar), a victim of emotional and physical abuse suffered at the hands of her boyfriend, who finds comfort with the former. Uma pledges allegiance to the cause, swearing to shield the damsel in distress from any external danger, as if they were in an improbable fairytale. Marilis also acknowledges this fact by stating "I almost don't believe that you exist". Unfortunately, some things are indeed too good to be true, and her lover's cowardice soon comes to surface when a huge spider starts lurking in the shadows.

Last but not least, the story of Juri (Ursel Tilk) and his mother Ilmi (Liina Tennosaar) is subtly interconnected to the others. Whether it is a bump in the flea market with Maret or a desperate attempt to save Marilis from her boyfriend's vengeful rage, he actively tries to make a difference in the lives of those he encounters, using smaller or bigger gestures. Paths collide and change course, transforming trajectories as the wings of a butterfly do when they flap. Wolfgang (Kristo Viiding), an Austrian door-to-door vendor who sales expensive vacuum cleaners, Zahir Zahir (Peeter Volkonski), a peculiar antiquarian and Gertrud (Jekaterina Linnamäe), his seductive wife, are also a part of this complex chain of events.

Using teal and orange hues, wild beats, well-done CGI and comically absurd situations, Must auk / The Black Hole feels like a crazy fever dream, challenging societal norms while also playing with gender roles, hypocrisy and underlying trauma. It becomes boring at times, when Juri's sensual affair with Gertrud is unjustifiably prolonged, and it does not give the spectators the answers they may seek, but it still represents an ambitious and unconventional work of art which discusses contemporary problems in a lighter tone. In this case, it is no wonder that it won the Special Mention in the Parallels and Encounters section of the 32^nd edition of the European Film Festival Palić. The ending of the film, referencing the iconic last scene from Fight Club, gives hope for a better future, where the sky is literally the limit.