“An affecting, spiky melodrama” (Lou Thomas, BFI) – on March 11, see Lioness, Estonian director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo’s powerful psychological thriller exploring strength, family, and the courage (or madness) it takes to protect those we love.

Helena (Katariina Unt) is a steely paramedic in Tallinn known for her calmness and ability to handle crises. Off the clock, though, she struggles to connect emotionally with her volatile teenage daughter Stefi (Teele Piibemann), who has become rebellious and self-destructive. In a disastrous downward spiral, she skips school and finds herself wrapped up in a violent youth gang under the thrall of the charismatic Mariann (Elina Masing). One day, she disappears completely and her mother spends countless hours scouring the entire city for her. But when she learns that Stefi has ended up in the hospital after an overdose, a desperate and drastic plan forms in Helena’s mind to get her daughter back on her feet.

Picking up the Special Jury Award at last year’s Warsaw International Film Festival, Lioness delves into the collapsing boundary between Helena’s desperate imagination and Stefi’s reality, forcing them both to confront the blurred line between love, control, and delusion.

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