World Premiere
Liz Cairns (The Horses – Best BC Short Film Award, VIFF 2021) steps into the feature spotlight with this mesmerizing debut about a young woman suffering from mysterious food allergies. When all else fails, she joins a remote island community practicing a lifestyle rooted in the theory of nourishment by light. Initially seduced by its charismatic leader (Susanne Wuest) and other members’ peaceful disposition, she soon realizes that not everything is as it seems when hidden tensions emerge and food deprivation becomes its own distraction.
At its core, Inedia is an eerily profound study of emotional and psychological disturbance and the way it manifests outwardly. It also deftly taps into the ambiguity of fringe communities preying on the fragile, offering healing through scientifically moot, often harmful methods. Complemented by Jeremy Cox’s lush 16mm cinematography and Amy Forsyth’s finely calibrated performance, the film possesses an ethereal mystique that perfectly articulates the hermetic nature of the character’s distress.
Sept 27: Q&A with director Liz Cairns and producers Tyler Hagan & Jennifer Chiu
Sept 29: Q&A with producer Tyler Hagan
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Amy Forsyth, Susanne Wuest, Hilda Martin
Canada
2024
English
Depiction of eating disorder, including binging and purging
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Daniel Bekerman, Chris Yurkovich
Producer
Tyler Hagan, Jennifer Chiu
Screenwriter
Liz Cairns
Cinematography
Jeremy Cox
Editor
Lisa Pham Flowers
Production Design
Louisa Birkin
Original Music
Jesse Zubot, Josh Zubot
Liz Cairns
Liz Cairns is an award-winning writer and director living on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territory in Vancouver, BC. A graduate of the Director’s Lab at the Canadian Film Centre, Liz’s short films have played at festivals internationally, including TIFF, Austin Film Festival, Interfilm Berlin, Palm Springs, Female Eye Film Festival, and VIFF, among others. Liz’s ability to “elicit remarkable performances” is a critically revered driving force in her craft.
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Image: © Seafaring