Having already suffered the humiliation of losing her job, Ren (Carmen Madonia), an aspiring writer, must now endure a week of summer vacation with her overbearing parents (Ramona Milano and Joey Parro) and extroverted, overachieving younger sister (Paige Evans). A 20-something trans woman eager to prove her self-sufficiency, Ren is instead forced to share a bed with her sister and wile away her time with resort activities intended for children or seniors. In the summer haze, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between rebellion and regression.
With its intricate family dynamics, Luis de Filippis’ debut feature is disarmingly intimate and exceedingly well-observed. She empathetically illustrates how familiarity can breed cluelessness, leaving kin to rely on assumptions about one another rather than genuine understanding. The film’s deceptively rigorous structure sees each character transformed by week’s end, with Ren arriving at the realization that adulthood needn’t entail putting away all childish things.
Changemaker Award, TIFF 2022; Sebastiane Award, San Sebastian 2022
Q&A Oct 4 & Oct 6
Presented by
Media Partner
Carmen Madonia, Ramona Milano, Paige Evans, Joey Parro
Canada/Switzerland
2022
In English and Italian with English subtitles
Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
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.
Montreal, ma belle
In this Valentine to discovering love later in life, the ever-elegant Joan Chen plays Feng Xia, a 53-year-old Chinese immigrant and mother in Montreal whose world is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with a young Quebecoise.
Credits
Executive Producer
Michaela Pini, Kevin Chinoy, Francesca Silvestri, Jennifer Konowal
Producer
Luis De Filippis, Jessica Adams, Harry Cherniak, Michael Graf, Rhea Plangg
Screenwriter
Luis De Filippis
Cinematography
Norm Li
Editor
Noemi Prieswerk
Production Design
Matthew Bianchi
Original Music
Ella Van Der Woude
Director
Luis De Filippis
Luis De Filippis is a Canadian-Italian filmmaker whose work has played at festivals such as TIFF, Rotterdam, and Sundance, where her short film For Nonna Anna (2017) received a Special Jury Prize. De Filippis’ films explore the complexities of family, the bond between generations, and the realities of living as a trans woman. Her debut feature, Something You Said Last Night, is executive produced by The Florida Project’s Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri.


