Lex Julia to world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights on Nov. 13
A late-summer weekend on an isolated island turns on a recognition from 15 years earlier in Lex Julia, which will world premiere on Nov. 13 at Estonia's Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The 30th edition of the festival, known as PÖFF, runs Nov. 6-22. Lex Julia screens in the Baltic Film Competition, a section that this year includes three world premieres, according to Screen Daily.
The film follows Julia, a music producer in her early 30s based in Berlin. She travels to spend a weekend with her new friend Anna at an island villa, then recognises Anna's husband JP as the man from her past.
That past is a rape 15 years earlier. The story is described as a post-#MeToo psychological drama about a survivor who encounters a man from her past years later, told through the conflicting experiences of a victim, an alleged perpetrator and his wife.
The recognition changes everything. The weekend becomes a close-quarters test of memory, denial and responsibility.
Rea Lest plays the title role, alongside Christian Hillborg and Jessica Grabowsky, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lest, an Estonian actor, was previously announced as the lead, according to ERR News.
Lex Julia is written and directed by Finnish filmmaker Laura Hyppönen. Cinematography is by Malte Rosenfeld and editing by Agata Cierniak.
The film is a co-production between Finland, Poland, Estonia and Sweden. It comes from Greenlit Productions and is co-produced by Orka Film, Alexandra Film, GötaFilm and Breidablick Film. The credited producers are Merja Ritola, Essi Haukkamaa-Judge, Marianne Ostrat, Marta Krzeptowska, Magdalena Zimecka, Gila Bergqvist Ulfung, Paul Blomgren and Daniel Lägersten.
Baltic Crime is handling international sales, meaning it sells distribution rights to buyers territory by territory. A theatrical release in Finland via StoryHill is set for January.
The launch does not stop in Tallinn. The film is also booked for the 41st Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina in the same month as its premiere.
Lex Julia already has festival history. It was named a winner at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2025, which brought two free accreditations for the industry gathering, according to the Industry@Tallinn organisers.
