A small group of armed activists travel through the woods to siege the compound of a wealthy landowner. Hélène is tasked with providing cover from the bushes while the others storm the gates, but when she clams up and can’t pull the trigger, the mission ends in disaster. Knocked out during her retreat, Hélène awakens to a ghost who takes her on a spiritual journey and offers her a second chance. Will she be ready to do the right thing when the opportunity arrives?
The winds of revolution blow with an angry fervour through Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s exquisite feature. Animated in painstaking detail (over six years!) using a muted colour palette, hand-painted textures, and raw, kinetic energy, Death Does Not Exist is a metaphysical journey into the wilderness of the afterlife. A breathtaking work of 2D animation and a war cry for political change.
Supported by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Zeneb Blanchet, Karelle Tremblay, Mattis Savard-Verhoeven, Barbara Ulrich, Félix Dufour-Laperrière
Canada/France
2025
In French with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Nicolas Dufour-Laperrière, Félix Dufour-Laperrière, Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Pierre Baussaron
Screenwriter
Félix Dufour-Laperrière
Editor
Félix Dufour-Laperrière
Original Music
Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière, Jean L’Appeau
Félix Dufour-Laperrière
Félix Dufour-Laperrière is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer who co-founded Embuscade Films in 2013. His works include the documentary Transatlantique (2014) and the animated films Ville Neuve (2018) and Archipelago (2021). His most recent feature, Death Does Not Exist, premiered in the 2025 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Filmography: Transatlantique (2014); Ville Neuve (2018); Archipel (2021); Cette Maison (2022)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Sirât
A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.
2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)
Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.
Round Midnight: Ardeshir Plays Dexter Gordon
Loosely based on Bud Powell's time in Paris, Round Midnight (131 mins) is maybe the greatest of all films about jazz thanks to the towering performance of real-life jazz great Dexter Gordon. Saxophonist Ardeshir channels Gordon's vibe in his live set.
The Love That Remains
Anna and Magnús have separated, leaving her to raise their three children as he spends long stretches at sea, working as a fisherman. As the seasons pass, their emotions ebb and flow. A richly conceived story with unexpected delight and humour.
