World Premiere
How do we navigate the space between everything we think and feel and know, our consciousness of the world at large, and our deep, debilitating suspicion that we’re small, irrelevant, and inadequate? Especially if we can’t even put that dilemma into words? Vlad is a musician — at least in theory. His partner, Sophy, is a young architect and a step or three ahead of him. But she’s struggling and he’s trapped in his own head. Their relationship seems to be petering out but a sojourn on Pender Island brings an opportunity for communication.
This 60-minute experimental feature — a collaboration between directors Devan Scott and Willa Harlow Ross and actor/co-scenarists Vlad Fedulov and Sophy Romvari — applies minimalist dramatic techniques (lengthy takes, spare and elliptical dialogue scenes) with rich, fulsome cinematography and a sophisticated sound mix — featuring extensive quotations from audiobooks and podcasts — to explore the destabilising modern dichotomy between interior and external selves.
Oct 3 & 5: Q&A with directors Devan Scott & Willa Harlow Ross and actor Vladimir Fedulov
Presented by
Media Partner
Sophy Romvari, Vladimir Fedulov
Canada
2024
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Devan Scott, Willa Harlow Ross
Screenwriter
Devan Scott, Willa Harlow Ross, Sophy Romvari, Vladimir Fedulov, Paige Smith
Cinematography
Devan Scott
Editor
Willa Harlow Ross
Devan Scott
Devan Scott has worked as a cinematographer, colourist, educator, and occasional director for ten years. As a cinematographer, his work has screened around the world at TIFF, Locarno, Busan, and the Criterion Channel among many others. As an artist on the autism spectrum, he aims to find new ways to better represent the sensory and emotional experiences of neurodivergent individuals. He holds a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University, teaches at UBC and Emily Carr, and hosts the podcasts Film Formally and How Would Lubitsch Do It. His colour work can be found at Moving Image Agency.
Willa Harlow Ross
Willa Harlow Ross has been working in film and video since co-founding Sad Hill Media in 2009. Her work behind the camera and the keyboard is always focused on finding fresh, gripping new approaches to filmmaking. As well as on-set direction, Willa participates in the screenwriting, shotlisting, editing, and sound design stages of the process. She also maintains a practice of written work, and her articles and video essays have been published by outlets such as VIFF Blog and MUBI Notebook.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
VIFF Kids Club is our monthly family series with films, crafts and more! Doors at 11 am for activities, film at 12. FernGully is a magical adventure where fairy Crysta and her friends seek to protect their rainforest home.
Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
This intimate and candid film by a younger husband and wife artist team is a delicate and immensely moving dual portrait of two artists, husband and wife, together and apart, at that point in life when the end casts a shadow over even the sunniest day.
Image: © Manon et Jacob and Final Cut For Real
Agatha's Almanac
Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.
Blue Road - The Edna O'Brien Story
Judging by this candid, funny, passionate biographical documentary, it would have been a wild ride to have been Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, or even to have been in her circle of friends and lovers. Well, for an hour and a half we can pretend we were.
The Art of Adventure
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.