Universal Language (2024 film)
| Universal Language | |
|---|---|
| French | Une langue universelle |
| Persian | Avaz boughalamoune |
| Directed by | Matthew Rankin |
| Written by | Ila Firouzabadi Pirouz Nemati Matthew Rankin |
| Produced by | Sylvain Corbeil |
| Starring | Mani Soleymanlou Danielle Fichaud |
| Cinematography | Isabelle Stachtchenko |
| Edited by | Xi Feng |
| Music by | Amir Amiri Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux |
Production company | Metafilms |
| Distributed by | Maison 4:3 |
Release date |
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| Country | Canada |
| Languages | French Persian |
Universal Language (French: Une langue universelle, Persian: Avaz boughalamoune) is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Matthew Rankin and released in 2024.[1] Described as a "surreal comedy of disorientation" set "somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg", the film blends the seemingly unrelated stories of Negin and Nazgol, who find money frozen in ice and try to claim it; Massoud, a tour guide in Winnipeg who is leading a confused and disoriented tour group; and Matthew (Rankin), who quits his unfulfilling job with the provincial government of Quebec and travels home to Winnipeg to visit his mother.[2]
The cast includes Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Sobhan Javadi, Pirouz Nemati, Mani Soleymanlou and Danielle Fichaud.
The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight program at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.[3]
Critical response[edit]
Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily wrote that the film "is doggedly eccentric, something that’s mirrored in its exaggerated aesthetic. There’s a pink cowboy-hatted singing turkey-shop worker; a man wandering around wearing a lit Christmas tree over his body; an absurdist bingo hall where men and women are interchangeable. Inside a pharmacy, all the labels are a generic Adam Stockhausen tribute — only they’re beige. There’s also a ‘Kleenex repository’ and reference made to a ‘Winnipeg Earmuff Authority’. Sad-eyed characters say things like: “My son choked to death in a marshmallow-eating contest,” or “she was flattened in a steamrolling accident”.You could call it whimsical. Absurdist. Contrived. Or an unexpectedly unusual concept album that doesn’t quite come off but was worth the effort. And you would be correct every time."[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Taimur Sikander Mirza, "Matthew Rankin comedy to debut in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes". Playback, April 16, 2024.
- ^ Melanie Goodfellow, "Best Friend Forever Boards Sales On Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Title ‘Universal Language’; Oscilloscope Takes U.S. Rights". Deadline Hollywood, April 16, 2024.
- ^ Rebecca Leffler, "Cannes 2024 Directors’ Fortnight line-up unveiled". Screen Daily, April 16, 2024.
- ^ Fionnuala Halligan, "‘Universal Language’: Cannes Review". Screen Daily, May 18, 2024.
External links[edit]
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