Discovering an unusual, potentially invasive insect inside a peach, fruit packer Robin (Grace Glowicki) immediately reports it. When the powers that be refuse to take action, she goes public with her concerns and precipitates a widescale shutdown that threatens to devastate her Okanagan town. Branded a pariah and effectively exiled with her younger sister Laney (Alexandra Roberts), Robin must also deal with the complications of terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Meanwhile, the townsfolk are about to learn that nature won’t be denied.
Parallels and allegories abound as Sophie Jarvis’ psychological drama delves into the ills of this seemingly postcard-perfect community. Boasting a layered narrative and impeccable performances, Until Branches Bend is also suffused with the sensorial elements of an Okanagan summer: from the dusty cinematography to a sweltering atmosphere that leaves everyone on edge. What starts out as an intimate whistleblowing drama ultimately grows apocalyptic in scale, all while preserving the human story at its core.
Q&A Oct 2 & Oct 7
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Grace Glowicki, Alexandra Roberts, Quelemia Sparrow, Lochlyn Munro, Antoine DesRochers
Canada/Switzerland
2022
English
At Vancouver Playhouse
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Blue Trail
77-year-old Tereza makes a break for the Brazilian jungle in this trippy septuagenarian fantasy, the latest from Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro is a quirky picaresque, lushly photographed and filled with mordant humour.
Calle Málaga
Seventy-nine-year-old María Ángeles lives independently in Tangier's Spanish quarter. When her daughter pressures her into selling her apartment, she refuses to give in, finding in her old age a new resilience and an unexpected romantic connection.
Streetwalker
Middle class and married, Elena (Miroslava Stern) has been seduced by an unscrupulous swindler, who turns out to be the pimp of Maria (Elda Peralta), a prostitute and Elena's estranged sister. But are they really so different under the skin?
Two Prosecutors
In the midst of Stalin’s purges, a naïve prosecutor sets out to investigate a prisoner’s innocence, unaware of the labyrinthine bureaucracy awaiting him. A Kafkaesque procedural thriller about the pursuit of justice in the face of corruption.
Image: © SBS Productions
Salón México
Cheated by her pimp, Mercedes recklessly steals his wallet and is only saved from a severe beating by the intervention of a kindly policeman. Hard-hitting social realism sits beside patriotic sentimentality and multiple red hot dance sequences.
The Kneeling Goddess
In which wealthy industrialist Arturo de Cordova purchases the titular nude sculpture of his lover (María Félix) as an anniversary gift for his innocent, adoring wife. Soon enough the wife is dead, though untangling just how and why is part of the fun.
Credits
Producer
Tyler Hagan, Sara Blake, Magali Gillon-Krizaj, Michela Pini, Olga Lamontanara
Screenwriter
Sophie Jarvis
Cinematography
Jeremy Cox
Editor
Kane Stewart
Production Design
Charlie Hannah
Original Music
Kieran Jarvis
Director
Sophie Jarvis
Sophie Jarvis’ first job in film was reading fan mail for The L Word. Later, she studied at Simon Fraser University and her short film, The Worst Day Ever (2012), had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Jarvis now works as a director, while living a double life as a production designer on a wide range of projects. Lately, she is immersed in the world of stop motion animation with the upcoming short film Zeb’s Spider, produced by the National Film Board of Canada.