After 16 years of marriage and two children, François and Julie have lost their spark in the bedroom. In an effort to reconnect, they decide to open up their relationship and rediscover their sexuality — but polyamory isn’t as easy as they hoped. Juggling family life while searching for matches on a swingers’ app, the couple find themselves in a series of awkward foursomes, and trust issues begin to complicate their experiment. However, as their paths diverge, new pleasures begin to reawaken dormant feelings.
The feature-length directorial debut of Eric K. Boulianne (who co-writes and stars alongside Catherine Chabot), Follies is a laugh-out-loud sex comedy and a relatable depiction of marriage that recognizes the distinctions between love, sex, and intimacy. Frank in its portrayals of BDSM and kink, Boulianne’s film never loses sight of communication as the key ingredient to a relationship. Full of cheeky cinematic references to marital classics such as Scenes From a Marriage and Eyes Wide Shut, this is a bawdy riot with a heart of gold.
Presented by
Media Partner
Eric K. Boulianne, Catherine Chabot, Florence Blain Mbaye, Étienne Galloy, Sarah Chouinard Poirier, Simone Bellemare-Ledoux
Canada
2025
In French with English subtitles
At International Village
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Hany Ouichou, Laurie Pominville
Screenwriter
Alexandre Auger, Eric K. Boulianne
Cinematography
François Messier-Rheault
Editor
Myriam Magassouba
Original Music
Peter Venne
Eric K. Boulianne
Photo by Priscillia Piccoli
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Jay Kelly
In Noah Baumbach's wise and witty comedy, George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, a world-famous movie star touring Europe with his friend and manager, Ron (Adam Sandler). Faced with nagging dissatisfaction, Jay starts to ask himself some tough questions.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? + The Soda Crackers
Join us for a fun afternoon of bluegrass music with the Soda Crackers, followed by a special 25th anniversary screening of the Coen brothers' beloved Homeric comedy, O Brother, Where Art Thou? starring George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Meadowlarks
Fifty years after being separated during the Sixties Scoop, four Cree siblings reunite for the first time on a long weekend trip to Banff. Tasha Hubbard’s sensitive drama relates an emotional and life-affirming story of kinship and belonging.
Left-Handed Girl
Co-written and edited by Sean Baker (Anora), Shi-Ching Tsou's heartwarming solo feature debut follows a single mom in Taipei who is too consumed with her noodle stand to keep tabs on her five-year-old daughter's burgeoning shoplifting habit.