This tender coming-of-age drama, set in a Jehovah’s Witness congregation in the 90s, explores the themes of first love, sexual awakenings, and the clash of personal desires with the sense of community. The film follows Jamie as she moves in with her aunt and uncle who are part of the group. Initially wary of their close-knit community, things start to shift when she meets Marike, a charming young Witness tasked with welcoming Jamie into the fold. The two instantly hit it off and develop a strong bond that ultimately results in widespread tension, challenging the young lovers’ own principles.
Marking the feature directing debut for Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky, the film taps beautifully into the whirlwind of emotion caused by forbidden teenage infatuation within the rigid constraints of religious conditioning. Sharply written, shot, and acted, You Can Live Forever is ultimately carried by Anwen O’Driscoll, whose nuanced, naturalistic performance gives the film its heartbeat.
Q&A Sept 30
Presented by
Media Partner
Anwen O’Driscoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Deragh Campbell, Antoine Yared, Hasani Freeman, Tim Campbell
Canada
2022
English
Book Tickets
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All the Lovers in the Night
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Clarissa
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Image: © Courtesy of Elevation Pictures
Opening Gala: The Debut
VIFF is honoured to open the festival with this special by-invitation screening of Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut. When meek Mona (Julianne Moore) lands a part in a musical, she fully inhabits her character, but grows increasingly untethered from reality.
Árru
Set against the mountains and fjords of northern Norway, Árru follows reindeer herder Maia as a proposed copper mine threatens her Sámi community, forcing her to fight to protect both her community and the land that sustains it.
The Beloved
When Esteban Martínez, an acclaimed director with violent tendences, invites his estranged daughter to star in his latest project, the stage is set for a familial reconnection. But as tensions flare, questions about his intentions rise to the surface.
MODES 1
Archive and the land reveal other ways of seeing, ensuring that what is meant to endure cannot be erased.
Credits
Executive Producer
John Christou
Producer
Robert Vroom
Screenwriter
Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky
Cinematography
Gayle Ye
Editor
Amélie Labrèche
Production Design
André Chamberland
Original Music
CFCF
Directors
Photo by EK Bowell
Mark Slutsky
Mark Slutsky is an award-winning writer and director based in Montreal. His shorts Never Happened (2015) and Sorry, Rabbi (2011) both premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2013, he co-directed and produced the animated short I’m One, Too! for the 44th season of Sesame Street. He also writes for video games, winning the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Video Game Narrative for his work on Compulsion Games’ We Happy Few. You Can Live Forever (2022), co-written and co-directed with Sarah Watts, is his first feature.
Photo by Kayleigh Choiniere
Sarah Watts
Sarah Watts is a writer/director from Montreal. Her previous work has been shown at Slamdance. When not making films, she works as a sports writer and editor.