World Premiere
On a clandestine date, a 40-something woman battling with her identity embarks on a journey of rediscovery that she cannot ignore nor fully encompass. This is a wonderful two-hander about courage and suppressed lesbian desire, a night to explore this other sexual orientation kept hidden for many years. It’s a thought-provoking story about life-changing choices as the characters unravel themselves, enhanced by incredibly strong writing that gives the actors a stage to shine on, and a complex lead performance which is where most of the dynamic and focus is. The film beautifully captures her conflicted state as her unhappy current life collides with the possibilities of the future.
Community Partner
Michelle Darkin Price, Adaya Henry, Daniel Poppitt
UK
2022
English
Featured in:
International Shorts: Connect/Disconnect/Reconnect
The films in this shorts program are all about connections. People connecting with one another, dealing with change, or rediscovering a part of themselves and their past.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Wind Will Carry Us
Kiarostami's dry comic masterpiece follows a Tehrani film team's thwarted attempts to document a traditional Kurdish funeral... Trouble being, there's no one to bury, and, worse, virtually no cell service...
Late Fame
Based on a novella by Arthur Schnitzler (Eyes Wide Shut) this is a sly, poignant comedy about vanity and art from director Kent Jones, starring Willem Dafoe as a mailman belatedly acclaimed for a book of poetry he wrote in his youth.
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.
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is an assassin, but he's also an existential loner who adheres to his personal code. Despite the thriller trappings, this is really a lampoon of that genre, and a melancholy reverie for the cultural melting pot we call home.
Franz
Veteran Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland takes the bull by the horns to craft a Kafka biopic that's Kafkaesque and then some, artfully layering scenes from Kafka's life and works along with ironic present-day footage for a truly surreal counterpoint.
Credits
Executive Producer
Alexzandra Jackson
Producer
Charlie Clarke, Katie Smith
Screenwriter
Tommy Draper, Z. Igbe
Cinematography
Luke J. Collins
Editor
Emmalie El Fadli
Production Design
Danni Ebanks-Ingram
Original Music
Joni Fuller
Director
Sophie Black
Sophie Black has directed nine award-winning short films, including Night Owls (2016), which premiered at London Short Film Festival, and Songbird (2018). She was part of the BFI NETWORK x BAFTA Crew in both 2018 and 2019, and is a member of Directors UK. Black is also the founder of Triskelle Pictures, with credits including Stop/Eject (2014), which premiered at Raindance Film Festival before being longlisted for Best British Short Film at the 2015 BAFTAs.