North American Premiere
A woman gets interviewed by a young journalist for her heroic act of saving children, but she’s a moody and reluctant participant. A tough and poignant drama about how people are more than their actions, and how heroes can be ordinary people who were not really thinking about the danger they faced. This is a thoroughly enticing story that keeps you on edge with a gripping, eerie, and unpredictable lead character. The sounds of the rushing river and torrential rain build the tense mood and add to the emotional impact. It’s a wonderfully different two-hander with terrific performances that show us different degrees of trauma as the film slowly reveals the act of bravery she still has difficulty talking about.
Community Partner
Pauline Lorillard, Soumaye Bocoum, Damien Lemercier
France
2021
In French with English subtitles
Featured in:
International Shorts: Having a Bad Day
Misadventures, bad choices, and a series of unfortunate events are all present in this program of short films. There is some serious drama and a bit of comedy on display in these exhilarating, thoughtful, and unpredictable tales.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Everybody to Kenmure Street
This rousing documentary (100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) never puts a foot wrong as it recreates a tense, prolonged stand-off between the police and the citizens of Glasgow when an Immigration Enforcement squad attempt to arrest two men from their homes.
Namesake
Powell River... named for Israel Wood Powell, a 19th century politician and a man of his time, an advocate for residential schools and the Indian Act. The Tla'amin Nation asks the city to consider changing its name, a request which sparks intense debate.
Julio Avila Cuban Band Live + The Mambo Kings Film Screening
Feel the heat! Shake your booty as we combine a live set of exhilarating Cuban music followed by a rediscovered 90s barnstormer of a movie starring Latin heartthrobs Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas alongside the likes of Tito Puente and Celia Cruz.
The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) gives FBI serial killer hunter Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) pointers from his maximum security cell. But is he trying to aid the investigation, or just messing with her head?
Credits
Producer
Thierry Lounas, Claire Bonnefoy
Screenwriter
Julie Debiton
Cinematography
Robin Fresson
Editor
Baptiste Petit-Gats
Original Music
Maurice Marius
Director
Julien Gaspar-Oliveri
Julien Gaspar-Oliveri directed Passe with Laure Calamy and then Villeperdue, a medium-length film released in theatres in 2017. The film received the Jury and Audience awards at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur. His short film, L’âge tendre, was broadcast on Arte in 2020, selected by many festivals, and nominated for the 2022 César Awards for Best Short Film. Gaspar-Oliveri also teaches theatre and cinema at the Cours Florent in Paris.