North American Premiere
Fausto and Ivan finally meet before getting settled at Fausto’s vacant family house, where they will have the necessary privacy to execute their plan. Everything has been thoroughly discussed, arranged, and agreed upon, and the day is looming. But they keep finding excuses to push the event back. In the process, they inadvertently get to know more about each other, boundaries start to blur, and suddenly, moving forward with the plan is no longer as straightforward as it once seemed.
Brilliantly scripted and meticulously structured, Other Cannibals leans cheekily into cultural stereotyping and fetishization to craft an existentialist subversion that draws from the Italian culture of food and family. The black and white film adopts a languid, measured approach, taking time to reveal its hand, each bizarre development and interaction increasingly more insightful. Newcomer Francesco Sossai delivers a deliciously dark comedic curve ball grounded in wonderfully calibrated lead performances, ultimately finding deep humanity amidst the cannibalistic fantasies.
Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5
Presented by
Supported by
Diego Pagotto, Walter Giroldini, Luisa Mondin, Barbara Turrin, Giovanni Tomassetti, Diego de Francesco
Germany
2021
In Italian with English subtitles
Animal Cruelty
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
How Dare You?
A bug-loving boy, a passionate classmate, and a troublemaker launch playful eco-protests against their town’s careless habits. As their missions escalate, they face real consequences in Director O’s witty, bittersweet Grand Jury Prize winner from the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.
A Sad and Beautiful World
This Lebanese love story chronicles the romance between a level-headed businesswoman and a romantic restauranteur across several decades in wartorn Beirut. It's funny, charming, melancholy and you'll feel it all.
One Last Love Letter
In 2024, Nazuna writes to the young man she secretly loved as a teenager. Her letter reaches his grieving father, revealing memories of Shinsuke, an aspiring boxer killed in the 2000 Naka-Meguro train disaster, and opening a tender exchange.
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
Samurai Vengeance
In Edo-era Japan, a young kabuki actor’s celebrated revenge becomes legend. When a provincial samurai investigates the truth behind the vendetta, conflicting testimonies expose hidden motives and buried secrets in this atmospheric jidaigeki mystery about rumor, performance, and myth.
Credits
Producer
Cecilia Trautvetter
Screenwriter
Francesco Sossai, Adriano Candiago
Cinematography
Giulia Schelhas
Editor
Ginevra Giacon
Original Music
Unpluriverso
Art Director
Tatiana Bastos
Director
Photo by Guido Lettieri
Francesco Sossai
Francesco Sossai was born in the Italian Dolomites area. He started filming short films at an early age. He moved to Rome, where he graduated in English and German Literatures. He was then admitted into the German Television Film Academy (DFFB) in Berlin. Other Cannibals is his first feature film. He lives in Veneto, Italy.

