Morals are being challenged on many fronts. The protagonists in this program of short films are all faced with difficult moral choices and they don’t always make the right decisions.
Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5
This short film program includes the following films:
The Silent Ones
Basile Vuillemin, France/Belgium/Switzerland (20 min)
At the end of an unsuccessful fishing trip, a small trawler’s desperate captain and crew ultimately agree they have to do something risky, but potentially lucrative, to change their fortune.
Solar Eclipse
Alireza Ghasemi, Raha Amirfazli, France/Iran (15 min)
A teen girl and her two friends and are off for an afternoon in the largest park in Teheran to photograph a rare total solar eclipse.
A Moral Man
Paul and Simon Wade, UK (19 min)
A right-to-die evangelist must wrestle with his faith and morality when his latest client turns out to be not what she claimed.
For Real
Ernest Lorek, Poland (19 min)
A young man’s house party takes an unexpected turn when his gangster neighbour breaks into his apartment.
Perspective
Alaa Algburi, Iraq/Jordan (10 min)
A symbolic examination of how men treat women in most of the Middle East from a young woman’s perspective.
The Lone Wolf
Filipe Melo, Portugal (24 min)
A talk show radio host has chosen emotions as his theme for tonight’s show, which proves surprisingly banal until he gets a call from an old friend.
Community Partner
Various
Various
2021-2022
Various with English subtitles
Domestic Violence, Gender or Sexual Discrimination, Sexual Violence, Child Abuse
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Sirât
A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.
2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)
Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.
Round Midnight: Ardeshir Plays Dexter Gordon
Loosely based on Bud Powell's time in Paris, Round Midnight (131 mins) is maybe the greatest of all films about jazz thanks to the towering performance of real-life jazz great Dexter Gordon. Saxophonist Ardeshir channels Gordon's vibe in his live set.
The Love That Remains
Anna and Magnús have separated, leaving her to raise their three children as he spends long stretches at sea, working as a fisherman. As the seasons pass, their emotions ebb and flow. A richly conceived story with unexpected delight and humour.