Kat Steppe’s Sunday Ninth selected for First Feature Competition Tallinn
Kat Steppe’s Sunday Ninth (Zondag de negenste) is selected for this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where the film is to receive its world premiere as part of the First Feature Competition.
A unique and intimate exploration of the way memory shapes every one of us, whether we remember what happened or whether we forgot, Sunday Ninth stars Josse De Pauw (The Passion of Darkly Noon, Kursk, The Twelve (TV), 1985 (TV)), Peter Van den Begin (King of the Belgians, The Weeping Walk), Frank Lammers (Undercover (Netflix), Ferry(Netflix)) and Kristien De Proost (Girl, The Twelve (TV), Professor T. (TV))
SYNOPSIS
After a lifetime of missed opportunities, brothers Horst (65) and Franz (59) finally meet again. Horst, now struggling with Alzheimer’s, has grown tired of life. Franz is in dire need of money and eyes his brother’s inheritance.
Enter Andrea (54), Horst’s first love, determined to win back what she once lost. Old passions flare, deep wounds reopen and the brothers’ rivalry runs deeper than they realised. Their animosity is tied to a long-buried family mystery.
In a battle between love, loyalty, regret and greed, each will be forced to ask: How far am I prepared to go to mend the past?
KAT STEPPE ABOUT HER FIRST FEATURE
For one year, two to three times a week, I volunteered as a caregiver at a residential centre specialising in looking after people with Alzheimer’s. I wanted to understand the aspects of the illness so I could write about it.
People living with Alzheimer’s are far from empty shells. Many remain acutely aware of how their abilities are deteriorating. What makes them feel better is being able to talk about what they see and feel without us correcting them all the time. What they need is the feeling of still being someone. To someone else.
Sunday Ninth is a plea for compassion towards those whose lives no longer follow a logical pattern. It is a story about regret, guilt and penance. About hope and despair. About family ties. About love and a waning memory that has erased that love. About lost time, in which Alzheimer’s is the obstacle to making up for it.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Kat Steppe (1974) first studied graphic arts at the Royal Academy for Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent and then continued studying film directing at the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound (RITCS) in Brussels. It was there she developed her distinctive approach to character-driven narratives rooted in realism and empathy.
Steppe began her professional career in television and became a frequent collaborator with Flemish broadcasters and production houses, contributing to socially engaged programming that blends intimacy with broader cultural themes.
She directed several acclaimed (non-fiction/documentary) series including Taboo and The Vatican.
Her work, which earned her an International Emmy nomination (for Taboo) and awards such as the Prix Europa (Food For Thought), often explores vulnerability, social connection and the quiet dignity of everyday lives. Always, as we can also see in Sunday Ninth, with a deep respect for her subjects and a keen eye for cinematic detail.
PÖFF TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS FESTIVAL PUBLIC SCREENINGS*
20 November, 18:30, Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Olaza, 2nd Hall (World Premiere)
PRESS SCREENING*
to be announced
*Always check the festival website for any last-minute programme changes.
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