TIFF 2023: Some of my faves…

TIFF came and went in a whirlwind… This year, I had the opportunity to view 24 features and 5 short films from Canada and around the world. I enjoyed the energy of the festival and albeit the SAG-WGA strikes, we had wonderful international guests in attendance.

Once festival closes, it is always difficult to create a list of favourites. Nevertheless, here are some standouts for me at this year’s TIFF.

Kanaval
Dir. Henri Pardo

This beautiful film tells the story of a young boy’s journey from Haiti to Quebec in the 1970s, when his family is forced to flee due during the town’s celebrations of carnival. The story is told through the point of view of Rico (Rayan Dieudonné) who tries to make sense of his mother, Erzulie (Penande Estime), her actions, and the adult world around him.

To say this film moved is an understatement. It includes elements of magic realism in order to bring us into Rico’s state of mind as he tries to navigate a new world. Through Rico’s vivid imagination, we learn about Haitian myth and culture. Rico’s world is rich yet perilous at time, as he does not fully understand the aliens (a.k.a. the adults) around him and their motives. I read that writer-director Pardo used some family experience as influence for the film. For any of us who as kids felt alone in a world that did not make sense or those of us who have left ‘home’ for Canada (or any other country), there is much to relate to in this film. Kanaval has stayed with me and will certainly require repeat viewings.

Chuck Chuck Baby
Dir. Janis Pugh

A film of love, loss and music set amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory. Set in present day industrial North Wales, Helen (Louise Brealey) spends her nights packing chickens and her days caring for a dying mother-figure Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). Helen’s world takes an unexpected turn with the return of Joanne (Annabel Scholey). They shared an unspoken teenage passions twenty years ago. One night, encouraged by Helen, Joanne starts a playful wooing game that re-awakens their youthful feelings.

Although this is a queer story, it is not only about Helen and Joanne’s orientation. I appreciate how the writer-director bring us a story about women who are dealing with every day life around them while also trying to find a way to live life on their terms. There is so much richness in the characters. I also really liked how she incorporated the presence of a strong female working-class community. With a mix of comedy, drama and musical numbers, this movie will steal your heart.

Valentina or the Serenity (Valentina o la serenidad)
Dir. Ángeles Cruz

Valentina (Danae Ahuja Aparicio) loses her father in an accident in the river, not satisfied with the explanation of death, she looks for him everywhere without success. She then becomes lonely but with the help of her mother (Myriam Bravo), siblings, community and through the passage of time she learns to accept her dad’s absence and overcome her grief.

Told from Valentina’s point of view, we observe her go through ups and downs with her mother and her best friend, 8 year-old Pedro (Alexander Gadiel Mendoza Sánchez). Valentina’s small universe is based on imagination and movement, in this world, she searches for the meaning of life… and death. Truly poignant story by Cruz; portrayed beautifully by the child and adult actors alike. I truly appreciated the story being set in a Mixtec community filled with rich traditions. I appreciate stores with children at the forefront tackling some big themes because they remind us of what is essential, pure and touching about our lives and world around us.

Danae Ahuja Aparicio as Valentina in *Valentina or the Serenity*

The Movie Teller (La Contadora de Películas)
Dir. Lone Scherfig

Based on Chilean author Hernán Rivera Letelier’s novel La Contadora de Películas, this is a decades-spanning story about the strength and survival of a community in the nitrate salt flats of Chile’s Atacama Desert. It is also a story about finding love and hope through the María Margarita’s (Sara Becker) storytelling. By following María Margarita’s family story – their mother leaving, their father being injured at the mine, the kids becoming responsible for their father and each other – we learn how simple pleasures like going to the movies become a life-saving strategy.

In the film, we see María Margarita become the town’s ‘Movie Teller’. She retells and re-enacts the films she sees at the cinema for those who cannot afford to go. Throughout the film, we see María Margarita grow into a resourceful young woman who must make choices for the sake of her family but eventually for her own sake as well. The film showcases some great scenes from Hollywood classics like Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, From Here to Eternity, Paths of Glory, Breakfast at Tiffany‘s, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and others. One of the things I like most about the film is how it tackles light and heavy themes in a way that reminds us of the hardships places like Chile have endured politcally and also about the power and importance of art during such times. I also appreciated the strong female lead and the strength of this character through her childhood and into adulthood. A really well-rounded film in my opinion.

Toll (Pedágio)
Dir. Carolina Markowicz

Markowicz came back to TIFF with her second film about a Brazilian mother, Suellen (Maeve Jinkings) who falls in with a gang of thieves in an attempt to help her son Antonio (Kauan Alvarenga), and keep her family afloat.

This film is a smart, funny and moving story that gives us a glimpse into Suellen and Antonio’s life in industrial city of Cubatão. Suellen is trying to work hard to raise money to send Antonio to a conversion camp because she cannot have coworkers, or anyone else really, comment on Antonio possibly being gay. This pushes Suellen to get in with the ‘wrong crowd’ and sets in motion a series of events that will impact her life and Antonio’s in a way of a role reversal.

Jinkings and Alvarenga in the mother and son role are perfectly cast. They give stellar and heartfelt performances. Last year, I saw Markowicz’s first feature Charcoal and truly enjoyed her writing and directing style. She has a keen eye for making political and social commentary with a mix of dark comedy and satire. It was no surprise to me that she was honoured with the TIFF Emerging Talent Award.

Homecoming (Máhccan)
Dirs. Suvi West and Anssi Kömi

Co-directors West and Kömi share a personal and insightful story about the return of Sámi artifacts back to to their community and their homeland. Through documentary storytelling and visually stunning camerawork, this film is an important and necessary effort in discussing the issue of cultural repatriation currently facing Indigenous groups worldwide. This is accomplished by focusing on the story of the heart and soul of the Sámi people, examining the question of one’s connection to the ancestors through cultural artefacts.

West invests a lot of herself in bringing us this film as she takes this journey to search for the artefacts, interact with them and help in their return to their Sámi community. In turn, Kömi’s camera work helps to take us along, learn and get to know the history of these artefacts and their importance to indivuals and community members alike. I am a big fan of documentaries especially when they tackle big and relevant themes from a personal perspective. It is through the personal that we can begin to understand the impact colonialism has and continues to have on Indigenous communities throughout the world.