Ari Kinarthy’s existence is marked by worry and vigilance around his health, as he struggles with spinal muscular atrophy which has progressively weakened his muscles and left him vulnerable to infection and sickness. Yet he was born with the soul of an artist and a passion for music and remains curious and eager to collaborate with other musicians despite his limited physical strength. Anticipating the end of his life, Ari has an ambitious goal: to create music that will capture his experiences and memories and to leave a legacy through which people will remember him.
This documentary is a rare gem, borne of profound contemplation and insight. Intimate, honest, and inspiring, Ari eloquently narrates his own story and shares his artistic process. Ari’s Theme is visually captivating, incorporating animation, dramatic recreations, and imaginative dream sequences. Thoroughly engaging and beautifully made, this film demonstrates what a determined soul can achieve. It will make you weep and smile, all the while appreciating life’s tender workings and the constant movement of time.
The September 30 screening of Ari’s Theme is a Relaxed Screening. Relaxed Screenings are open to ANYONE who would benefit from a less restrictive and sensory-friendly experience. Learn more about Relaxed Screenings here.
Sept 28: Q&A with directors Nathan Drillot & Jeff Lee Petry and Ari Kinarthy
Opening Gala Screening – September 26, 6:30 pm – Standby Tickets
Standby tickets will be available to the Opening Gala screening of Ari’s Theme on September 26 at 6:30 pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. At the Opening Gala screening, members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will live score key passages within the film and lend Ari’s compositions even greater resonance.
In Partnership with
Supported by
Media Partner
Ari Kinarthy, Allan Slade BMT MTA, Johannes Winkler, Leah Kinarthy, Elior Kinarthy
Canada
2024
In English with open captions
May frighten young children
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Directors
Producer
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry
Screenwriter
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry, Ari Kinarthy
Cinematography
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry
ANIM
Scott Lougheed
Editor
Benjamin Schuetze, Graham Fortin
Nathan Drillot
Jeff Lee Petry
Nathan Drillot and Jeff Lee Petry have been working under the moniker SALAZAR for over a decade producing and directing award-winning documentaries. Highlights include their feature documentary Wizard Mode premiering at Hot Docs and being acquired by Netflix US, showrunning a ten-episode docu-series, The Wrestlers, premiering on Viceland, and a Juno and Grammy nomination for best full-length music documentary with Tegan and Sara. Their short documentary Handsome and Majestic (2016) was included in the BFI Flare Film Festival’s 5 Films for Freedom campaign.
Filmography: Wizard Mode (2016)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Teacher
In this potent thriller, English teacher Basem witnesses the murder of a teenager by a Israeli settler. While the subsequent investigation rolls slowly towards a foregone conclusion, the teacher is caught up in a parallel kidnapping case...
Bob Trevino Likes It
When her toxic, narcissistic dad cuts her out of his life, Lily Trevino looks him up on Facebook and happens across his namesake, Bob (John Leguizamo), a gentle, genial contractor who lives nearby, and who proves an altogether better dad...
The Encampments
When pro-Palestine protests took hold of Columbia last year, the filmmakers were there from the beginning. This documentary charts the mounting tensions between students and the administration, as the protests were picked up across North America.
Shepherds
Mathyas quits his marketing job in Montreal and goes to France with the romantic notion of becoming a shepherd. He's in for a rude awakening... Based on a true story, Deraspe's stirring film plays spiritual uplift off against some 3000 sheep and a donkey.
Our Lady of the Nile
Veronica and Virginia are inseparable friends at an elite Catholic boarding school, Our Lady of the Nile, but what binds them together is the very thing that separates them forever. We are in Rwanda, 1973, and tribal tensions are simmering ominously.
Faces
Ten years after his landmark debut, Shadows, John Cassavetes returned to the indie model, self-financing this wrenching portrait of the sexual mores and miseries of American middle class. Gena Rowlands is luminous as Jeannie, the film's emotional barometer.