Antipode Acquires Tallinn Competition Anti-War Film ‘Deaf Lovers,’ Pulled From Fest’s Ukrainian Section (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Jamie Lang Boris Guts‘ “Deaf Lovers,” an Istanbul-set romantic drama, has been acquired by Antipode Sales & Distribution for global sales.

Already a noteworthy title in this year’s Tallinn Black Nights competition lineup, the film garnered extra attention last week when the State Film Agency of Ukraine called on the fest to pull the film from its lineup.

Tallinn removed “Deaf Lovers” from its Standing with Ukraine program but refused to pull it from the program entirely. “Deaf Lovers” tells a contemporary story about a woman from Ukraine and a man from Russia who meet in Istanbul and kick off a penniless vacation romance.

Both are, as the title implies, also deaf and worried about the future that awaits them back home. “I wanted to create a film that shows how war destroys our humanity and, most importantly, it kills love,” Guts tells Variety. “We stop hearing and understanding each other.