Canadian Premiere
A man who left his native Normandy to build a bigger life for himself in Paris returns to his hometown, where he runs into an old flame. This is a lovely reconnection story that uses musical numbers to help punctuate the emotional and story points, shades of La La Land and Jacques Tati. There is definitely some of that Tatiesque charm as they remember the past, while acknowledging the passing of time in different ways. The film is about forgetting loves, remembering them again, and having a few magical nostalgic moments before the reality of time and distance sets in.
Community Partner
Juliette Armanet, Bastien Bouillon, François Rollin, Lorella Cravotta
France
2021
In French with English subtitles
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 Choral
Yorkshire, 1916. Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) is entrusted with the role of chorus master — despite his suspicious ties with Germany. As conscription papers arrive, the community is thrown into chaos, but music proves a worthy distraction.
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.
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.
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.
Credits
Producer
Bastien Daret, Arthur Goisset, Robin Robles
Screenwriter
Amélie Bonnin, Dimitri Lucas
Cinematography
David Cailley
Editor
Audrey Bauduin
Production Design
Marion Briec, Chloé Cambournac
Original Music
Thomas Krameyer
Director
Amélie Bonnin
Amélie Bonnin’s work lies at the border of different disciplines; her projects combine graphics, drawing, writing, and video. She studied graphic design at Olivier de Serres in Paris and Université du Québec à Montréal, and screenwriting at La Fémis. She has directed the documentaries La mélodie du boucher (2013) and La Bande des Français (2018, co-directed with Aurélie Charon). Bye Bye is her first dramatic short.