THE LUNCH: A LETTER TO AMERICA
Doc@PÖFF International Competition The film avoids conventional narrative, weaving fragments of daily life into an unconventional and striking portrait of a nation divided yet profoundly human. Written and directed by Gianluca Vassallo, co-produced by The Curiosity Cabinet.


Time & Location
Nov 15, 2025, 3:30 PM – 5:10 PM
Hall 2 Kino Artis , Estonia pst 9, 10143 Tallinn, Estonia
About the Event

November 15 at 15:30
Hall 2 Kino Artis | Tallinn
Doc@PÖFF International Competition
A rare cinematic achievement: solitude, politics, and humanity in Trump’s divided America.
Eduardo, a Mexican cook in a Coney Island diner who crossed the desert two decades ago, becomes the unsuspecting centre of a story unfolding during the last week of the U.S. presidential campaign. Around him swirl fleeting encounters, patriotic hymns, prayers, accidental violence, tenderness, and landscapes of desperate beauty – an America at once raw and poetic.
The film avoids conventional narrative, weaving fragments of daily life into an unconventional and striking portrait of a nation divided yet profoundly human. As history closes in, Eduardo’s quiet presence collides with Robert, a steadfast Trump supporter, over something as simple as a hamburger. Told with what the filmmaker Gianluca Vassallo calls “punk clarity” and “riot delicacy,” this film stands out as a rare cinematic achievement – one seldom seen in films that attempt to capture America.
Written & Directed by Gianluca Vassallo
Produced by Maddalena Satta for White Box Studio
Co-produced by Daniele Guarnera and Alessia Calvani for Percettiva;
Whitney George for The Curiosity Cabinet
Executive Producer | Gianluca Vassallo
Director of Photography | Gianluca Vassallo
DOP Assistants | Francesco Mannironi, Roberto Verbena
Editors | Gianluca Vassallo and Giulio Tiberti
Color Correction | Francesco Mannironi
Sound Design | Daniele Guarnera
Foley Artist | Fabio Cucculelli
Assistant Director | Mercedes Corveddu
Camera Operators | Francesco Mannironi, Roberto Verbena
Graphic Design & Titles | Samuele Savio for Choice Studio
Sound Post-Production | Percettiva
Mastering and DCP | White Box Studio
Original Music | Whitney George
Performed by | The Curiosity Cabinet
Adam von Housen | Violin I
Laura Thompson | Violin II
Laura Sacks | Viola
Mark Serkin | Cello
Steve Beck | Piano
