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
A Poet
When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
It Was Just an Accident
Having offered some late-night assistance to a stranger in the wake of an auto accident, a mechanic grows convinced that he recognizes the supposed stranger’s voice as that of his torturer during a grueling prison spell.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Seeds
Shot over nine years, Brittany Shyne’s Sundance-winning documentary is a tender portrait of Black farming families in the American South. A moving meditation on land, legacy, and the strength it takes to hold on.
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.

