North American Premiere
A powerful, insightful docudrama following a teenage boy from France spending the summer at his grandmother’s house in French Guiana, where he learns about his roots and connects with a community of people still reeling from the tragic loss of his uncle, who died under senseless, violent circumstances several years earlier. Through individual stories, he pieces together a legacy of both personal relevance and broader cultural resonance. The intense community immersion also sees him mastering the drums and partaking in a traditional drumming performance, the final act of initiation into the tight-knit circle.
Drawing from his own background in this emotionally charged feature debut, Maxime Jean-Baptiste demonstrates a sharp understanding of form fluidity and hybridity, skillfully blending verité observation with narrative elements. Loosely structured yet beautifully written, Listen to the Voices captures the essence of formative experiences distilled through poignant conversations with community elders, family members, and peers.
Special Jury Prize CINE+, Locarno 2024
Sept 30 & Oct 1: Q&A with director Maxime Jean-Baptiste
Community Partner
Melrick Diomar, Nicole Diomar, Yannick Cébret
French Guiana/Belgium/France
2024
In French and Creole with English subtitles
Racist content
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Rosa Spaliviero, Olivier Marboeuf
Screenwriter
Audrey Jean-Baptiste, Maxime Jean-Baptiste
Cinematography
Arthur Lauters
Editor
Liyo Gong
Original Music
Mayouri Tchô Nèg, Josy Masse, Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, London Symphony Orchestra
Maxime Jean-Baptiste
Maxime Jean-Baptiste (born 1993) is a filmmaker based in Brussels and Paris. His work delves into the complexity of Western colonial history and its present-day impacts, focusing on archives and re-enactment as a perspective for conceiving a living, embodied memory. Nou voix (2018) won the Jury Prize at the Festival des Cinémas Différents et Expérimentaux. Listen to the Beat of Our Images (2021), co-directed with his sister Audrey, was selected at CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, IDFA, and many other festivals. His latest film, Listen to the Voices, is his debut feature.
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Shadow of a Doubt
In our latest film studies series, FRAMEWORK, Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock across four monochrome masterworks. This week: smalltown US thriller Shadow of a Doubt (1943), one of the director's personal favourites.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
NAZA
NAZA is a codeword euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians it expects will be killed in an airstrike. This chilling documentary exposes the policy and process of state-sanctioned mass killings.
The Best Years of Our Lives
One of the finest films to come out of WWII, The Best Years of Our Lives sympathetically conveys the difficulties returning veterans faced in readjusting to life at home. It won 7 of the top Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director and Actor.
Ray Gunn (Special Advance Screening with Brad Bird)
In an alternate future as seen from 1939, a private eye (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder, and a multimedia star (Scarlett Johansson). Followed by a moderated discussion with director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille).