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
Capernaum
Nadine Labaki's Oscar-nominated heart-tugger tells the story of a 12 year old boy who has grown up in the slums of Beirut, and who decides to sue his parents for bringing him into such a world. "An absolute heartbreaker." Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Silence
This sober, probing examination of faith, ego, cruelty and compassion is the most underrated film from the often under-valued latter half of Martin Scorsese's brilliant career; a passion project, about Catholic missionaries in 17th Century Japan.
Souleymane's Story
Exhausted by the grueling grind of the Parisian gig economy and hopping between homeless shelters, Guinean immigrant Souleymane races against time to prepare for his asylum interview. An angry, tender film which is as gripping as any thriller.
Hard Eight
Anderson's debut is a deceptively modest character piece about a veteran gambler (Philip Baker Hall) who takes a much younger man under his wing and teaches him how to play the system and win. Until things take a darker turn...
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)