Seven Veils

Atom Egoyan has brought cinematic tropes to productions for the Canadian Opera Company since he first mounted Richard Strauss’s Salome in 1996 (a staging that’s been revived several times since). Here he brings Salome to the cinema with a typically layered, “Atom-ique” approach to the story of a young theatre director (Amanda Seyfried) tasked with remounting the opera according to the bequest of her late mentor and lover, whose original interpretation was inspired by her disturbing relationship with her father. “Seven Veils” is right: Egoyan’s movies are often structured as psychological striptease, revealing taboo and trauma through a fractured mirror of erotic connection, performance, confession and confrontation. In that sense this is unmistakably an Egoyan film — his critical reputation may ebb and flow but for all its high art trappings ultimately Seven Veils sits squarely beside the likes of Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter. That said, there are lashings of Strauss and Oscar Wilde here too, butting against very modern ideas around sexual propriety, abuse and catharsis.

Musical Introduction on October 4

We’re excited to welcome Vancouver Opera’s Head of Music Les Dala and soprano Tabitha Brasso-Ernst to provide a unique and musical introduction to Seven Veils at the October 4 screening. Les will give viewers an introduction to the word of opera and Richard Strauss’s Salome; then Tabita will perform a stunning musical excerpt from the opera with resplendent vocal fireworks.

October 1: Q&A with director Atom Egoyan

Atom Egoyan’s take on a familiar theme is so feverish that one can’t help being swept up in its mad vision.
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