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
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
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Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
This intimate and candid film by a younger husband and wife artist team is a delicate and immensely moving dual portrait of two artists, husband and wife, together and apart, at that point in life when the end casts a shadow over even the sunniest day.
Image: © Manon et Jacob and Final Cut For Real
Agatha's Almanac
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Blue Road - The Edna O'Brien Story
Judging by this candid, funny, passionate biographical documentary, it would have been a wild ride to have been Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, or even to have been in her circle of friends and lovers. Well, for an hour and a half we can pretend we were.
The Art of Adventure
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
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.