Canada has chosen Universal Language, directed by Matthew Rankin, as its entry for the Best International Feature category at the upcoming Academy Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film, which recently clinched the audience prize for Best Film in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival, is making waves with its unique blend of Farsi and French.
Set against the backdrop of Montreal and Winnipeg, Universal Language envisions a world where Farsi has emerged as a dominant language, blending elements of a diary, an absurd city symphony, and a reflection on confinement-era emotions. The film delves into the enigmatic “interzones” where individual identity merges with the broader world, creating a dreamlike narrative centered on home, solitude, and human connections.
Director Matthew Rankin expressed his excitement about the film’s selection, stating, “We are amazed by this improbable selection and we will do our very best to represent Canada at the Oscars. Universal Language is an expression of very great collective joy between myself and my friends Pirouz Nemati, Ila Firouzabadi, Sylvain Corbeil, and all the beautiful and hilarious people who created this strange, triangle-shaped, Irano-Winnipego-Quebecois brain which became our film, beh naame doosti (in the Name of Friendship).”
The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Rankin himself, Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Sobhan Javadi, Pirouz Nemati, Mani Soleymanlou, Danielle Fichaud, Bahram Nabatian, Ila Firouzabadi, Hemela Pourafzal, and Dara Najmabadi.
Universal Language is also set to have its North American premiere at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival. Directed by Rankin, the film is based on a script co-written with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi. Produced by Sylvain Corbeil under Metafilms, it features domestic distribution by Maison 4:3 and international sales managed by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
(With ANI Inputs)
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