The Miami Film Festival (MFF) takes place in Miami from April 9 to 19, and Canadian films are on the program, including a production from Quebec. A second French-language film, from France, is also being screened. And on the dance scene, the Ballets Jazz de Montréal are presenting a performance at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Here’s a preview.
CANADIAN FILMS Gagne ton ciel (The Cost of Heaven) – A film by Mathieu Denis
Directed by Quebec filmmaker Mathieu Denis, this drama about social success is inspired by a shocking true story that shows how decent people can be driven to commit extreme acts and cross boundaries leading to irreversible consequences…
“On the cusp of turning 50, Nacer Belkacem has every reason to be satisfied with his life: a loving father, an attentive and caring husband, a stable job, involvement in his community, and a nice little suburban home. However, through his interactions with the wealthy parents at his children’s school, Nacer realizes he deserves better. The problem is that he has already accumulated heavy debts, caused by questionable investments. On the brink of ruin, he devises a desperate plan to try to keep his head above water.” ©Charles-Henri Ramond (filmsquebec.com)
The 117-minute French-language film will be screened on Sunday, April 12, at 8:30 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinema in Miami, Theater 13. Mathieu Denis is expected to attend.
Blue Heron
Directed by Sophy Romvari (Canada, Hungary), this 90-minute drama follows a family of six as they settle into their new home on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. The family witnesses tensions emerging through the eyes of their youngest child, Sasha.
The film will be screened on Tuesday, April 14 at 9:00 PM at the Coral Gables Art Cinema in Coral Gables.
Dancing on the Elephant
In this film, when Nora moves into the Shady Rest nursing home, she has little left to look forward to—until the feisty Edna bursts into her life.
Directed by Julia Neill and Jacob Z. Smith (Canada), and running 94 minutes, this comedy-drama takes a look at the simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking process of aging. Julia Neill and Jacob Smith are expected to attend the screening on Sunday, April 12, at 6 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinema in Miami, Theater 13.
Flavia
Flavia is an 11-year-old girl described as a budding detective and expert in poisons.
Considered a charming family film, this 95-minute comedy-thriller—inspired by the famous Flavia de Luce mystery series and directed by Bharat Nalluri (UK, Canada)—will be screened on Sunday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Coral Gables Art Cinema in Coral Gables.
Modern Whore
“Modern Whore” is a hybrid documentary “that revisits common representations of sex work to elegantly explore the journey of Andrea Werhun, a sex worker from Toronto.”
The director of the 80-minute documentary, Nicole Bazuin (Canada), is expected to attend the screening on Saturday, April 11, at 8:15 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinema in Miami, Theater 12.
Yanuni
This documentary-action film was a special screening as part of Miami Climate Week on March 19. Selected for the Oscars, it tells the story of a couple on the front lines of the fight to preserve the Amazon rainforest. It was directed by Richard Ladkani (Germany, Brazil, Canada, United States, Australia) and runs 112 minutes.
Canadian Film Schedule at the MFF:
FILM IN FRENCH, FROM FRANCE
The Coming of the Future (Colors of Time)
This drama directed by Cédric Klapisch, combining romance, comedy, and history, tells the story of “a group of strangers, all descendants of a woman named Adèle Meunier, [who] find themselves in Normandy, France. The municipality wishes to acquire her long-abandoned property, and four “cousins” are tasked with overseeing the transaction. Thus begins a genealogical journey into the past, transporting us to Paris in 1895, as the City of Light stands on the cusp of an industrial and cultural revolution.”
Screenings of the 126-minute film on Sunday, April 12, at 12:15 p.m. at Silverspot Cinema, Theater 13, and on Sunday, April 19, at 5:00 p.m. at the Koubek Center in Miami.
Full MFF program: https://miamifilmfestival.com/
BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL DANCE ME by Leonard Cohen
According to the Kravis Center website in West Palm Beach (WPB), this choreographic work by the Ballets Jazz de Montréal is “a breathtaking dance journey set to the haunting music of Leonard Cohen. A captivating tribute to the famous Montreal poet, artist, and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, DANCE ME evokes the great cycles of existence through the five seasons, as described in Cohen’s deeply contemplative music and poems. This magnificent production combines scenic, visual, musical, dramaturgical, and choreographic elements.”
We invite you to see this show, which will be presented on Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m., in the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall at the Kavis Center: www.kravis.org
This article was translated using DeepL.
