
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
Foreigner
An Iranian teenager who recently immigrated to Canada is desperate to make friends at her new high school. Pressured to dye her hair blonde, she unleashes a demonic force rooted within her. A humourous coming-of-age horror from Ava Maria Safai.
Clan of the Painted Lady
Jennifer Chiu’s engrossing documentary explores the Hakka — a people, a language, and a culture that have been obscured for far too long. Tracing her own lineage back to from Canada to China, the director creates an illuminating, bravely personal film.
Finch & Midland
Timothy Yeung’s film tells the story of four Hong Kong immigrants living in Scarborough, Ontario. With exceptional performances from its four leads, the film explores the Asian diaspora, social malaise, and the hardships of life under late capitalism.
The Essence of Eva
Tragically dying years before she’d rise to global fame, Eva Cassidy was an uncompromising artist whose transcendent voice still resonates. With never-before-heard recordings and footage, this intimate portrait captures the person behind the legend.
4: Um, womanhood
Shorts from: Canada, Columbia, France, Netherlands, Sweden.
The Strange Little Cat
This droll, perfectly executed comedy chronicles a day in the life of a multigenerational family prepping a celebratory dinner in their cramped Berlin apartment. Putting daily life’s absurdities on display, it's an exciting choreography of the quotidian.