Griffin Dunne's Louis Kahn Drama Heads to Tallinn
Griffin Dunne stars as the Estonian-born architect Louis I. Kahn in Joy Will Prevail, which has its international premiere at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) on Saturday, 7 November.
The film is a biographical drama about the final years of Kahn's life. It centres on the design of his last private house, and it is directed by Max Korman, making his feature debut. Korman is the grandson of Steve Korman, the founder of Korman Communities, who commissioned the house from Kahn outside Philadelphia. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively premiered the trailer, and it reports that the house was the last residential building Kahn designed, finished shortly before his death in 1974.
The cast also includes Jennifer Beals and Alexis Bledel, with Ben Rosenfield playing Steve Korman and Molly Ephraim in the ensemble. Joshua Echevarria shot the film as cinematographer, and Sarah Flack edited it. The producers are J. Andrew Greenblatt, Max Korman, Derek Dienner and Alex Peace-Power.
The film had its world premiere at the Philadelphia Film Festival. Its Tallinn screening is part of the TAB 2026 Satellite Programme, and the trip to Estonia was organised with the Louis Kahn Estonia Foundation.
The trip matters for a simple reason. Kahn was born in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa, and the Estonian visit brings the story back to his birthplace. According to PÖFF, Dunne and Max Korman will attend the premiere in Tallinn, followed by a special Sunday screening in Kuressaare.
Festival organisers have also planned a public event. PÖFF says an open press conference will feature Max Korman, Dunne and Louis Kahn's grandson Gregory Kahn, with free admission for festival audiences.
The festival is marking its 30th edition with other events too. Estonian postal service Omniva is issuing a commemorative stamp, a Tallinn tram will carry artwork by animation director Priit Pärn, and three exhibitions opened to mark the anniversary.
For Estonian audiences, the screening offers a chance to see a film about one of their country's most notable exports of talent, in the place where his story began. For everyone else, it is a reminder that a film festival can reach well beyond the screen, into streets, post offices and the family histories of the people who made the film.
