Under Review

VIFF 2017: Unarmed Verses

From the opening shots of Charles Officer’s documentary, Unarmed Verses, it’s clear that this is a film that embraces its setting. In typical Canadian fashion,…

Under Review

VIFF 2017: Sweet Virginia

Marked by tension and atrocity, Sweet Virginia unveils a bitter yet beautiful view on human nature. It superimposes the relationship between necessity and sin over…

Under Review

VIFF 2017: Paradox

A psychopathic organ trafficker, a psychic Muay Thai cop and a desperate father out for revenge — I saw Paradox at the Rio Theatre during…

Under Review

VIFF 2017: Indian Horse

Watching this movie on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish people adds to the allure and tragedy of the feature. The wounds of colonial…

Under Review

VIFF 2017: Thelma

A truly sinister scene opens Thelma, the fourth film by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, setting the tone for two fascinating hours that follow. A father…

Under Review

VIFF 2017: New Skins & Old Ceremonies

Short films have the difficult task of storytelling in limited time. There’s no slow unravelling of characters, lengthy development of relationships or plot thickening. But…