Thirty-something Ali (Ekin Koç) leads a seemingly stable life. He teaches a course at a university in Ankara, is attempting to conceive a child with his wife, and tends a garden on the city’s outskirts — a task for which he enlists the help of a mysterious but capable stranger. However, when his ailing mother dies under ambiguous circumstances, Ali’s life starts to unravel, resulting in an act that shatters our understanding of his person.
Winner of the Directing Award in Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Iranian writer-director Alireza Khatami (Terrestrial Verses) delivers a tense psychological thriller with the shadowy ambiance of a classic noir and a boldly conceived twist on the vagaries of personal identity. “No one is resentful by nature,” remarks Ali’s newly hired gardener. An unsparing look at generational cycles of violence and corruption, this is a film that examines just how resentment arises, probing the demons we carry within us.
Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Sundance 2025; Oscar Submission: Canada
Oct 3 & 4: Q&A
Supported by
Community Partner
Selen Kurtaran, Idil Engindeniz, Güliz Şirinyan, Aysan Sümercan Ölmez
France/Poland/Canada/Turkey
2025
In Turkish with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Naomi Despres, Michèle Marshall (Desmar), ErcanKesal
Producer
Elisa Sepulveda-Ruddoff, Cyriac Auriol, Mariusz Włodarski, Alireza Khatami, Michael Salomon
Screenwriter
Alireza Khatami
Cinematography
Bartosz Świniarski
Editor
Selda Taşkın, Alireza Khatami
Production Design
Meral Aktan
Alireza Khatami
Alireza Khatami is an award-winning writer, director, and producer based in Canada. Born into the indigenous Khamse tribe in southeastern Iran, Khatami draws from the rich oral storytelling traditions of his heritage, and his works are notable for melding magic realism with sharp social commentary. His debut feature, Oblivion Verses, premiered at the 2017 Venice Film Festival, garnering critical acclaim and winning multiple awards; his second feature, Terrestrial Verses (2023, co-directed with Ali Asgari), premiered in the Un Certain Regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews and has been theatrically released in more than 15 countries.
Filmography: Oblivion Verses (2017); Terrestrial Verses (2023)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Princess Mononoke
A mystical fight between humans and the Animal Gods of the forest. Ashitaka, the last prince of a dying race, struggles to find a way for both sides to co-exist. But the fighting only becomes more and more bloody and all hope seems to be lost…
Cookie Queens
A documentary about the annual Girl Scouts' cookie sale is probably not high on your list of must-sees, but don't be too sure — this movie is a delight, a rare celebration of girlhood, supportive family relations, and the art of salesmanship.
Jackie Brown
Take half a dozen characters who know they're in a fix, and give them half a million dollars to fight over. Tarantino's crime movie (his best) transcends genre in large part because in Pam Grier and Robert Forster it gives us people we truly care about.
A Simple Machine
Cutting costs, swapping four wheels for two, Nick is downsizing to pay off his student debt. It's a path which leads to savings he had not anticipated, even if his girlfriend thinks he's losing it (and she may be right). A lean, low budget gem.