Travelling north to freedom through a “strange and ruthless land”, teenager Cécile (Mallori Johnson) and her mother are offered lodgings by the affluent Florence (Lauren Lee Smith), who habitually opens the doors of her lavish manor to refugees. As Cécile falls into a giddy sexual relationship with a young gardener (Idrissa Sanogo Bamba), Florence’s sheltered daughter Fanny (Angourie Rice) develops a voyeuristic obsession. Little do they know, a terrible secret lurks at the heart of the estate.
Set in a stylized world that fusing aesthetics of the antebellum South, occupied Europe, and Algiers, this “tale of two princesses” draws inspiration from the true story of Cecilia Reynolds, a 15-year-old who escaped from slavery in 1846. With its foreboding sound design, expressive lighting, and ominously floating camerawork, Steal Away cultivates a sustained, slow-burning tension. Fans of Get Out and Rosemary’s Baby will be engrossed by this twisty psychological thriller from Clement Virgo, whose previous film Brother (VIFF 2022) earned 12 Canadian Screen Awards.
Oct 6 & 8: Q&A
Angourie Rice, Mallori Johnson, Lauren Lee Smith, Idrissa Sanogo Bamba
Canada/Belgium
2025
In English, French, Lingala with English subtitles
At Vancouver Playhouse
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Caitlin Grabham, Paula Devoshire, Laurie May, Noah Segal, Fred Roos, Anna-Nora Bernstein, Andrew Low
Producer
Damon D’Oliveira, Peter De Maegd, Clement Virgo, Tom Hameeuw
Screenwriter
Tamara Faith Berger, Clement Virgo
Cinematography
Sophie Winqvist Loggins
Editor
Jorge Weisz
Original Music
Fjóla Evans
Production Design
Elisa Sauvé
Clement Virgo
Filmography: Rude (1995); The Planet of Junior Brown (1997); Love Come Down (2000); Lie with Me (2005); Poor Boy’s Game (2007); Brother (2022)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
How Dare You?
A bug-loving boy, a passionate classmate, and a troublemaker launch playful eco-protests against their town’s careless habits. As their missions escalate, they face real consequences in Director O’s witty, bittersweet Grand Jury Prize winner from the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.
A Sad and Beautiful World
This Lebanese love story chronicles the romance between a level-headed businesswoman and a romantic restauranteur across several decades in wartorn Beirut. It's funny, charming, melancholy and you'll feel it all.
One Last Love Letter
In 2024, Nazuna writes to the young man she secretly loved as a teenager. Her letter reaches his grieving father, revealing memories of Shinsuke, an aspiring boxer killed in the 2000 Naka-Meguro train disaster, and opening a tender exchange.
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
Samurai Vengeance
In Edo-era Japan, a young kabuki actor’s celebrated revenge becomes legend. When a provincial samurai investigates the truth behind the vendetta, conflicting testimonies expose hidden motives and buried secrets in this atmospheric jidaigeki mystery about rumor, performance, and myth.