International Premiere
Dutiful and devout, Rita (Mónica Villa, an Argentine institution) keeps a clean church but yearns for something more: beatification. Embarking on an ill-advised scheme to stage a miracle and enshrine her reputation as a living saint, this god-fearing senior instead falls victim to a cruel twist of fate that leaves her, well, a living saint. In the wake of its protagonist’s rebirth, Chronicles of a Wandering Saint pulls back the veil on reality, revealing the angels, demons, and other wonders who loaf about this earthly plane.
Demonstrating a knack for both absurdist humour and graceful visual flourishes, Tomás Gómez Bustillo casts a magical realist spell that bewitches with its heady concoction of anarchic mischief and astute perceptions. Boasting one of the most audacious storytelling gambits you’ll see on screen this year (you honestly won’t believe Gómez Bustillo’s nerve), the film otherwise casually but compellingly builds its case that we coexist with wonders.
A celestial satire as sharp as the devil’s pitchfork, Chronicles is charming as hell.
October 6 & 8: Q&A with director Tomas Gomez Bustillo & crew
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
Monica Villa, Ana Silvia Mackenzie, Noemi Susana Ron, Silvia Porro, Horacio Anibal Marassi
Argentina/USA
2023
Altered States
In Spanish with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Gewan Brown, Doriane Desfaugeres, Samir Oliveros, RJ Glass, Ciro Apicell
Producer
Gewan Brown, Amanda Freedman
Screenwriter
Tomas Gomez Bustillo
Cinematography
Pablo Lozano
Editor
Benjamin Tolentino
Production Design
Doriane Desfaugere
Original Music
Felipe Delsar
Director
Tomas Gomez Bustillo
Born in Buenos Aires, Tomás Gómez Bustillo was brought up across Argentina, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the US. After studying Political Science in Buenos Aires, he relocated to LA where he earned his MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute Conservatory. After graduating, he co-founded indie production company Plenty Good. His award winning shorts have screened at Tribeca, Slamdance, Mar del Plata, Flicker’s Rhode Island, Raindance, among others. Chronicles of a Wandering Spirit, his debut feature, starring Monica Villa was a 2021 Screen Craft Film Fund Finalist and will be premiering at SXSW. Breaking away from cliches in mainstream depictions of South America, Tomás tells stories that use religion, magic, folklore and myth to conjure up and celebrate the real human absurdity that lies underneath.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
A Poet
When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.
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.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
Seeds
Shot over nine years, Brittany Shyne’s Sundance-winning documentary is a tender portrait of Black farming families in the American South. A moving meditation on land, legacy, and the strength it takes to hold on.
Sound of Falling
A remote German farmhouse is the stage for the mundane and magical experiences of four girls who call the foreboding place home at various intervals over the course of a century. In turns delicate and devastating, this is cinema at its most experiential.
Image: © Fabian Gamper
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.