North American Premiere
Sitting by the window of a Parisian apartment willed to her by a late friend, a young woman observes the world passing her by. Trapped by her grief and untethered from the world, she begins a series of video correspondences with two filmmakers, Blake Williams in Toronto and Burak Çevik in Istanbul, whose words and images begin to form a kind of escape.
With co-directors Çevik and Williams, director Sofia Bohdanowicz crafts a spiritual sequel to her 2017 film Maison du bonheur. Here, Bohdanowicz once again employs cinematic alter-ego Audrey Benac, blurring lines between diary film and traditional narrative. The film unfolds like an epistolary novel, each correspondence filmed and narrated by the filmmakers using their respective cinematic approaches: saturated, foggy 16 millimeter; icy sharp 4K HD; and the simulated depth of stereoscopic 3D images.
With a loving fondness for Bressonian techniques, Bohdanowicz, Williams, and Çevik offer a collaborative meditation on grief and the vital role of community in healing.
Q&A Oct 2
Deragh Campbell, Mustafa Akkaya, Mehmet Ayısıgı, Burak Çevik, Dorota Lech, Juliane Sellam, Emilia Szydło
Canada/Turkey
2022
In English and Turkish with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
La Haine
This angry French thriller about alienated kids (a skinhead, an Arab, and an African) in the working class outskirts of Paris plays like a cross between Do the Right Thing and Mean Streets. French cops turned their backs on the red carpet at Cannes.
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Sasha Waters' documentary takes us through the life of America's best-selling late twentieth century poet, a private woman who shared her innermost thoughts and made them indispensable.
Casino
Revisiting the wise guy milieu for the third (but not the final) time, Scorsese tells the story of Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro (Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci), two New York hoodlums who become major players in the history of Las Vegas.
Amadou & Mariam: The Blind Couple From Mali
This lovely portrait of the irresistible Malian musicians traces how the blind couple met in Bamako and instantly connected, their triumphs on the world stage and collaborations with the likes of Chris Martin, Damon Albarn and Manu Chao.
Vivaldi and Me
Venice, 1716. Composer Antonio Vivaldi teaches at an orphanage for abandoned girls, and establishes a deep rapport with violinist Cecelia — but their collaboration is threatened by her impending arranged marriage.
Credits
Executive Producer
Marco Gualtieri, Selman Nacar, Dominga Sotomayor
Producer
Sofia Bohdanowicz, Burak Çevik, Blake Williams
Screenwriter
Sofia Bohdanowicz, Burak Çevik, Blake Williams
Cinematography
Sofia Bohdanowicz, Burak Çevik, Blake Williams
Editor
Blake Williams
Original Music
Sarah Davachi
Art Director
Dorota Lech
Directors
Sofia Bohdanowicz
Sofia Bohdanowicz is a Canadian filmmaker. Her experimental shorts and narrative features have screened internationally, including venues such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, New York Film Festival, the Berlinale, and the Harvard Film Archive. She is the recipient of the Jay Scott Prize (2017) and was recently named as one of The 22 Most Influential People in Canadian Film in The Globe and Mail. She is currently in development on her fifth feature film titled Opus 28.
Filmography: Never Eat Alone (2016); Maison du bonheur (2017); MS Slavic 7 (2019)
Burak Çevik
Burak Çevik is a filmmaker based in Istanbul. He founded Fol Cinema Society, curated experimental and arthouse film screenings, and was a lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University between 2018 and 2020. His films The Pillar of Salt (2018) and Belonging (2019) premiered at Berlinale Forum. His video works have screened at various festivals, such as Locarno Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and New York Film Festival.
Filmography: The Pillar of Salt (2018); Belonging (2019)
Blake Williams
Blake Williams is a Toronto-based artist and filmmaker. He is the co-founder of the production company BlueMagenta Films, and contributes criticism to the Canadian film publication Cinema Scope magazine. His shorts, features, and installations have been exhibited internationally, including venues such as the Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Jeonju International Film Festival, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Filmography: Prototype (2017)