Stir Cheat Sheet: Vancouver International Film Festival programmers offer their under-the-radar picks
Curtis Woloschuk, Ruun Nuur, PoChu AuYeung, and Alan Franey dish on VIFF’s hidden hits, including a clever throwback to Dogme 95 and a documentary dubbed “one of the most important films of the year”
The Guest
The Quiet Applause
The Vancouver International Film Festival runs from October 1 to 11
THIS IS A CITY FULL of cinephiles, so it comes as little surprise that some of the bigger-name features at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival are already on “standby”—meaning advance tickets are sold out, but if you’re lucky, you might score one at the door. That includes Jesse Eisenberg’s feature The Debut, starring Julianne Moore, as well as Martin McDonagh’s buzzed-about closing film, Wild Horse Nine, with its genius pairing of John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as 1970s CIA agents. Foreign hits like La Gradiva, winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes’ Critics’ Week were also on standby status at last check. (See, people really do their research in these parts.)
With this in mind, Stir hit up some of the fest’s programmers for their tips on the event’s under-the-radar discoveries, from an urgent excavation of the politics around oil to a Canadian debut feature that takes a haunting look at adopted at-risk teens.
There’s a good likelihood that these unsung discoveries will still have tickets available. And this may be the only chance for you to catch these finds that the programmers have culled from around the globe. Added bonus: you’ll be able to impress your cinephile friends with your insider knowledge.
Curtis Woloschuk, VIFF director of programming:
THE GUEST (Denmark)
October 10, 9 pm, Lindsay Family Stage, Granville Island; October 11, 1:30 pm, International Village
If you yearn for the raw, bracing authenticity of late-1990s Scandinavian filmmaking, head to this feature about a clan that gathers at an oceanside resort for a christening—and brings resentment, tension, and a dash of mental illness along with them. “Given that Mads Mengel’s absorbing portrait of a dysfunctional Danish family is a spiritual successor to Thomas Vinterberg’s The Celebration, it’s only fitting that it hinges on a mesmerizing performance from Trine Dyrholm, who also featured in that standard bearer for the Dogme 95 movement,” Woloschuk says. “Helming his debut feature, Mengel demonstrates tremendous assurance as he doles out darkly comic developments while deftly ratcheting up the emotional stakes.”
Clubfoot
CLUBFOOT (Canada)
October 4, 6 pm, The Cinematheque; October 5, 2:45 pm, VIFF Centre
Haunting and unsettling, this Canadian feature centres on a pair of alienated teenagers who decide to intimidate a younger adopted boy. And Woloschuk gives it high praise. “Resulting from director Nathan Donovan’s own lived experiences growing up with adopted at-risk siblings and witnessing his father’s work in the flawed foster care system, Clubfoot is one of this year’s most significant Canadian first features,” the head programmer says. “Formally rigorous yet disarmingly affecting, it’s a challenging work that forgoes tidy resolution in favour of inviting you to continue ruminating over the uncomfortable questions it poses.”
Ruun Nuur, VIFF documentary programmer:
Concrete Land
CONCRETE LAND (Jordan/Palestine)
October 3, 8 pm, SFU Woodward’s; October 4, 12:15 pm, Lindsay Family Stage (with director Q&As)
Jordan-born Palestinian filmmaker Asmahan Bkerat tells the story of one of Jordan’s last Afro-Palestinian-Bedouin families as luxury villas encroach upon the grazing areas they’ve used for centuries. “We’re especially honoured to present the North American premiere of Concrete Land following its world premiere at Locarno Critics’ Week,” says Nuur. “Filmed over eight years across three generations of the Al-Najjar family, Asmahan Bkerat creates such intimacy that by the end you feel almost adopted into their world, while offering a renewed way of thinking about land and the responsibility we hold toward it.”
AN INCOMPLETE CALENDAR (Canada/Iran/Turkey/Venezuela)
October 3, 6 pm, International Village; October 4, 12:15 pm, International Village
Director Sanaz Sohrabi has crafted a history of oil unlike anything you’ve seen presented before—all set to the music of a forgotten vinyl record. “An Incomplete Calendar may be one of the most important films of the year, and we’re thrilled to present its Canadian premiere,” asserts Nuur. “Through a kinetic, essayistic collage, Sanaz Sohrabi undertakes the colossal task of tracing how oil became political leverage for liberation movements and solidarity across the Global South, excavating archival histories that make our current political moment feel more legible.”
PoChu AuYeung, VIFF Asian cinema programmer:
THE QUIET APPLAUSE (South Korea)
October 2, 6 pm, SFU Woodward’s; October 3, 3 pm, International Village (with director Q&As)
This Byun Sung-bin feature makes its world premiere at VIFF—and the tender, lyrical portrait of a family stands out, says the long-time programmer. “While many recent South Korean films are high-octane dramas/thrillers packed with twists and turns, The Quiet Applause offers a refreshing change of pace by exploring the human condition on an intimate scale,” AuYeung says. “Set against a lyrical backdrop of rural farm life, the film delivers a quietly moving portrait of a family raising a child with special needs. Told with deep sensitivity and nuance, the story unfolds through the wide-eyed curiosity of a toddler, who delivers an uncannily natural performance which anchors the film.”
Alan Franey, VIFF Portraits programmer and festival director emeritus:
NOUS, L’ORCHESTRE DE PARIS (France)
October 4, 6:15 pm, Alliance Française; October 6, 11:15 am, International Village
Classical-music fans will want to check out Philippe Béziat’s unprecedented look at the Orchestre de Paris, its exciting young conductor Klaus Mäkelä, and the bonds between its 120 members. Franey says the film is “marvellously innovative in approach. Here are some of the world’s best musicians—including Yuja Wang—playing in venues like the incredible new Paris concert hall designed by Jean Nouvel.”
Our Mr. Matsura
OUR MR. MATSURA (USA)
October 4, 5:45 pm, International Village; October 5, 10:30 am, International Village
In the early 1900s, photographer Frank Matsura—the orphaned son of a samurai—journeyed from his native Japan to live in rural Washington State. There, he captured the vibrant community on film—from the Indigenous peoples to homesteaders, and from cowboys to miners. “A treasure trove!” raves Franey. “It’s possible that this Japanese photographer captured early 20th-century life in Okanogan better than anyone else.” 
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