North American Premiere
Lydia, a young Parisian midwife, sees happiness in the lives of others and disappointment in her own. She tries to find fulfillment in her solitude, by walking through the city streets at night, going to the movies alone, and riding the bus around the city. A one-night-stand with a friendly bus driver briefly gives her hope. But after he cuts her off, she initiates a desperate lie and things spiral out of control…Written and directed by Iris Kaltenbäck, The Rapture is an evocative, enigmatic psychological thriller centered on a brilliantly nuanced performance from César-winning actress and director Hafsia Herzi.
SACD Award, Critics Week, Cannes 2023.
Community Partner
Hafsia Herzi, Alexis Manenti, Nina Meurisse, Younès Boucif
France
2023
Panorama
In French with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Alice Bloch-Robin, Thierry de Clermont Tonnerre
Screenwriter
Iris Kaltenback
Cinematography
Marine Atlan
Editor
Pierre Deschamps; Suzana Pedro
Production Design
Anna Le Mouel
Original Music
Alexandre de La Baume
Director
Iris Kaltenbäck
Iris Kaltenbäck grew up in France, with a French mother, an Austrian father and an American stepbrother. After studying law and philosophy, she joined the Fémis school in Paris, specifically the screenwriting department. In 2013, she worked as assistant to stage director Declan Donnellan at the Théâtre des Gémeaux in Paris. In 2015, she directed her first short film, A Visit From the Stork, which received an award at the Brussels International Film Festival. She received the Sopadin Junior Award for her screenplay entitled Still Shot. The Rapture is her first feature film.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Whispers in the Woods
A luxuriant, healing immersion in nature with ravishing wildlife photography, this is the cinematic equivalent of "forest bathing," a trip deep into the Vosges, France, with photographer Vincent Munier (The Velvet Queen), his father and his son.
King Arthur's Night
John Bolton's film of Niall McNeil and Marcus Youssef's musical staging recreates Camelot at Harrison Hot Springs. It's a self-referential piece which joyfully reframes a classical narrative through the prisms of disability, inclusivity, and imagination.
