Screening times:
Thursday, July 10, 6:30 PM

Matthew Rankin | Canada | 2024 | 89m

Typically we don't screen films that have already had a recent cinema run in Halifax. However, sometimes, there are unmissable films we fear might have slipped under the radar during their first theatrical run! So, ICYMI, we're bringing back Matt Rankin's multi-award-winning sophomore feature Universal Language for a second run!

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

"'Universal Language' is delightfully absurdist, with little moments in each story that both make sense yet defy expectations." - Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com

"Cross-cultural humor proves uniquely appealing in this off-kilter satire, which unfolds in a place where French and Farsi are the official tongues." - Peter Debruge, Variety

Tickets $12 ($11.40 cash at the door if available)
Price includes HST