Drawn home for the first time in a long time by his father’s birthday, Sam (Elliot Page) finds himself aboard a train out of Toronto hurtling towards a family he hasn’t faced since transitioning four years earlier. Onboard, he makes a chance encounter with an old friend, Katherine (Hillary Baack), and sparks instant chemistry, bringing long dormant feelings to the surface. At home, Sam is welcomed in as a brother and son, but unspoken tensions lace every interaction, as Sam struggles to navigate his family’s clumsy reaction to his transition, and long-festering tensions threaten to sever their relationship.
In his first feature film role since 2017, Elliot Page delivers a powerful and nuanced performance that effortlessly navigates the tumultuous emotional journey of Sam’s visit home. Director Dominic Savage (The Escape) uses improvisation to craft exquisite, small, conversational scenes between family members that renders them with remarkable depth and clarity. The film is an incisive family drama, a rich character study, and proof that Elliot Page is a generational talent.
Community Partner
Elliot Page, Hillary Baack
Canada/UK
2023
Showcase
English
Gender or Sexual Discrimination
At The Park
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Anita Gou, Sam Intili, Nia Vazirani, Matt Jordan Smith, Andrew Frank, Francine Maisler
Producer
Krishnendu Majumdar, Richard Yee, Daniel Bekerman, Chris Yurkovich, Dominic Savage, Elliot Page
Screenwriter
Dominic Savage
Cinematography
Catherine Lutes
Editor
David Charap
Production Design
Joseph Kabbach
Original Music
Dominic Savage, Oliver Coates
Director
Dominic Savage
Dominic Savage is a BAFTA-winning filmmaker with a prolific list of TV credits. Dominic created, wrote and directed three seasons of the award-winning anthology drama series, I Am. Each film has been developed in collaboration with one of Britain’s leading female actors: Season one starred Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, and Gemma Chan. The second series starred Suranne Jones, Letitia Wright and Lesley Manville. Most recently, Season 3 opened with a feature length film I Am Ruth starring Kate Winslet. It won two BAFTAs (Single Drama and Lead Actress) as well as a Royal Television Society award for Lead Actress.
Filmography: When I Was 12 (2001); Love + Hate (2005); The Escape (2017)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Three Colours: Blue
The first of Kieslowski's acclaimed Three Colours Trilogy, inspired by the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity and the French flag, the Tricolour. Blue stars Juliette Binoche as a young woman grieving her husband and child.
Vivaldi and Me
Venice, 1716. Composer Antonio Vivaldi teaches at an orphanage for abandoned girls, and establishes a deep rapport with violinist Cecelia — but their collaboration is threatened by her impending arranged marriage.
Camp
Reeling from two devastating tragedies, Emily (Zola Grimmer) takes refuge at a summer camp for troubled youth, where she has been offered a position as counsellor. She finds friendship, but also something more unexpected, something truly troubling...