The 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is nearly upon us. Set to take place September 9-18 and include a mix of in-person and digital events, the fest’s program this year includes the North American premiere of “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion’s first film in over a decade; a trip down memory lane with Canada’s own Alanis Morissette; and a thriller from Danis Goulet inspired by the country’s colonialist legacy. We’ve collected some highlights from TIFF’s 2021 slate, but this list is far from exhaustive. Other titles we’re looking forward to include Kamila Andini’s “Yuni,” a portrait of an ambitious highschooler being pressured to marry, and “Beba,” Rebecca Huntt’s doc about an NYC-born Afro-Latina who is facing historical, societal, and generational trauma head-on.
Here are some of our most anticipated films of TIFF 2021. Synopses are courtesy of the festival.
“Jagged” (Documentary) – Directed by Alison Klayman
“Jagged”: TIFF
What it’s about: Alanis Morissette reflects on her 1990s rise to rock stardom, in this new documentary from Alison Klayman (“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”).
Why we’re excited: Alanis Morissette cemented her rock goddess status with the release of “Jagged Little Pill,” her iconic 1995 album that spawned hits including “You Oughta Know,” “Ironic,” and “One Hand in My Pocket.” It’s only fitting that “Jagged,” Alison Klayman’s doc revisiting the Canadian singer’s stratospheric rise to international fame, makes its world premiere in Toronto. The candid portrait of the musician sees Morissette reflecting on the legacy of her feminist anthems and the surreal experience of becoming a worldwide sensation. “As a natural people pleaser in her youth, Morissette put on a cheerful mask in public. Now she’s ready to share what was concealed,” TIFF teases. It sounds as though Morsissette will be using her voice in a whole new way, and we’re eager to hear her speak her truth about what went on behind the scenes of making an album that continues to resonate decades after its release.
“Night Raiders” – Written and Directed by Danis Goulet
What it’s about: Danis Goulet’s singular thriller draws on Canada’s ugly colonial legacy for a propulsive piece of genre cinema set in a dystopian postwar future.
Why we’re excited: Canada’s ugly colonial legacy doesn’t get nearly enough attention within Canada or abroad. The recent discoveries of hundreds of unmarked graves is finally putting Canada’s shameful history and its government’s mass murder of Indigenous people on the map. Set in 2043, “Night Raiders” sees a Cree woman joining an underground band of vigilantes to infiltrate a State children’s academy and get her daughter back. The parable is a harsh reminder of the impact of residential schools, which saw Indigenous children taken away from their families with the goal of assimilating them into society. Students were forbidden to speak Aboriginal languages, verbally, physically, and sexually abused, and starved, among other horrors. With “Night Raiders,” Goulet promises to unearth historical atrocities and explore their long-lasting wounds.
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers toplines the film. The “Blood Quantum” actress is also a screenwriter and director. She helmed one of our most anticipated titles at Hot Docs 2021, “Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy,” which explores her Blackfoot community’s response to the opioid crisis.
“The Power of the Dog” – Written and Directed by Jane Campion
What it’s about: Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst lead Jane Campion’s drama about two brothers whose lives change when a widow and her son arrive at their ranch.
Why we’re excited: It’s Jane Campion! Directing a Western! In all seriousness, we’ve been waiting for the Oscar and Palme d’Or winner’s return to feature filmmaking for what feels like forever; while TV series “Top of the Lake” filled many of the intervening years, Campion hasn’t made a feature film since 2009’s “Bright Star,” and we simply can’t wait to see what she has in store for us.
Adapted from Thomas Savage’s 1967 cult novel, “The Power of the Dog” will deal with repressed sexuality and the brutality of man with its tale of two brothers (Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons) and the woman one of them marries (Kirsten Dunst). Following the likes of erotic thriller “In the Cut,” and the violence and sensuality of “The Piano,” we couldn’t feel more confident about Campion’s handling of these themes.
“Titane” – Written and Directed by Julia Ducournau
“Titane”
What it’s about: An automobile accident leaves disturbing consequences in this unflinching foray into human extremity from Julia Ducournau (“Raw”).
Why we’re excited: Julia Ducournau made history at Cannes this year when she became the second woman director to take home the fest’s most prestigious honor, the Palme d’Or, with “Titane,” a revenge thriller about a dancer, model, and serial killer with a sexual attraction to cars. The film is making its North American premiere at TIFF.
We adored Ducournau’s debut feature, 2016 cannibal coming-of-age pic “Raw,” and are looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about with “Titane,” which promises to be as wacky, gory, and unforgettable as its headline-making predecessor.
“Petite Maman” – Written and Directed by Céline Sciamma
“Petite Maman”
What it’s about: Following a girl’s journey to her mother’s childhood home, French auteur Céline Sciamma’s latest is a tender tale of intergenerational connection.
Why we’re excited: Céline Sciamma’s last feature, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” left us swooning at TIFF 2019. Gorgeously shot and emotionally devastating, the 18th century-set romance about a painter and the woman she’s hired to paint a portrait of was a real standout of the fest. Sciamma is reteaming with Claire Mathon, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire’s” cinematographer, for “Petite Maman,” which translates to “Little Mom,” a delightfully original story about an eight-year-old girl grieving the death of her grandmother who befriends a child who bears a resemblance to her and shares a name with her mother. “Petite Maman” sounds like a tender tearjerker that will see its young protagonist gaining a new and nuanced perspective of her matriarchs.
“I’m Your Man” – Directed by Maria Schrader; Written by Maria Schrader and Jan Schomburg
What it’s about: Maria Schrader’s unlikely sci-fi rom-com explores human relationships through the inquisitive eyes of a cyborg.
Why we’re excited: We’re all too familiar with stories about lonely men and their fascination with female-presenting robot/computer companions (think “Ex-Machina” or “Her”) but human-robot companion stories centered on women are pretty few and far between — and Maria Schrader’s “I’m Your Man” looks set to finally change that. In it, Maren Eggert plays a scientist who agrees to participate in an experiment that requires her to live with a humanoid robot (Dan Stevens) for three weeks.
The film looks poised to explore relationships, humanity, and the concept of happiness from the female perspective — the kinds of big philosophical concepts that we want to see being engaged with from a plethora of angles. We were big fans of last year’s miniseries “Unorthodox,” which Schrader won an Outstanding Directing Emmy award for, and this sounds like a promising follow-up project.
“Mothering Sunday” – Directed by Eva Husson; Written by Alice Birch
“Mothering Sunday”
What it’s about: Olivia Colman and Colin Firth star in this deeply affecting adaptation of Graham Swift’s bittersweet novel about secret love in post-WWI England.
Why we’re excited: WGA award-winner Alice Birch was the main scribe behind TV smash “Normal People,” which followed a young Irish couple weaving in and out of one another’s lives, and made her screenwriting debut with 2016’s 19th century-set “Lady Macbeth” — so we know she can tackle romantic turmoil and period settings with aplomb.
Besides Colman and Firth, the film stars Odessa Young and Josh O’Connor as a young couple meeting for secret trysts whose lives are changed by unforeseen events. At the helm is Eva Husson, who is keeping things interesting with the variety of her projects — previously she directed the sexually-charged coming-of-age pic “Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)”; “Girls of the Sun,” a drama about a Kurdish female combat unit; and episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s “Hanna,” a series about a teenage assassin — and we can’t help but be intrigued to see what she will bring to what she has described as, conversely, a “very, very delicate piece … about how hard it is to be an earthling, a human being.”
“The Mad Women’s Ball” – Written and Directed by Mélanie Laurent
What it’s about: The latest from writer-director-actor Mélanie Laurent is a chilling tale of spectral visions and institutional abuse set in 19th-century France.
Why we’re excited: Based on Victoria Mas’ award-winning novel, “The Mad Women’s Ball” is set in late-19th century Paris and follows a young woman, Eugénie (Lou de Laâge), who can supposedly communicate with the dead. At a time when the slightest provocation justified locking women up, Eugénie is unfairly institutionalized at the infamous Salpêtrière hospital, and begins to plot her escape.
Mas’ piece of historical fiction has earned rave reviews, and Mélanie Laurent — who also stars in the film, alongside her directing and scriptwriting duties — has strong form in directing adapted material as shown by her previous films “Breathe” and “Galveston.” Judging by the trailer, we can expect something richly detailed and involving. While the subject matter undoubtedly sounds heavy, the film promises a nuanced portrayal of female resilience in the face of injustice.
“The Hill Where Lionesses Roar” – Written and Directed by Luàna Bajrami
“The Hill Where Lionesses Roar”: TIFF
What it’s about: In a remote Kosovar village, three young women who feel their dreams have been stifled go on a quest for independence.
Why we’re excited: Following her memorable, César-nominated turn as housemaid Sophie in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” Luàna Bajrami marked her directorial debut with a premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes this year. Having written the script for “The Hill Where Lionesses Roar” at age 18, she explained to us in an interview that “the film is about youth, from hope to despair.” She continued, “I wanted to talk about youth without any filter, without any nostalgia, and without trying to be overly stylish.” With coming-of-age stories usually told by those reminiscing about adolescence, it’s not often we see stories about youth from those who are actually still experiencing it, so we expect this to feel refreshingly authentic.
Bajrami has also relied on her French-Kosovar background, acknowledging that growing up within the two cultures has given her a unique perspective: “Young people from these two countries do not have the same opportunities, but they are dealing with the same struggles. I was writing a film about youth from a universal perspective, but I drew from some of my own experiences.” We can’t wait to see what this new, young voice has to say.
“The Rescue” (Documentary) – Directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
“The Rescue”
What it’s about: Oscar-winning directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin detail the headline-making rescue of a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave for 16 days.
Why we’re excited: E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s last collaboration, “Free Solo,” a look inside rock climber Alex Honnold’s attempt to make history and free solo climb El Capitan, took home the honor for Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Oscars. “The Rescue” sounds like another visually stunning nail-biter, but also another chance to go behind the headlines and focus on the human side of a harrowing story that galvanized folks from around the world.
“Julia” (Documentary) – Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West
What it’s about: “RBG” directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West present a touching portrait of Julia Child, whose cookbooks and TV shows revolutionized American cuisine.
Why we’re excited: It’s a little surprising that a household name like Julia Child — who popularized French cuisine in the U.S. and pioneered a whole genre of cooking shows — hasn’t undergone much documentary treatment already, particularly following the box office success of Nora Ephron’s 2009 narrative feature “Julie & Julia.”
Thank goodness, then, that seasoned documentary filmmakers Cohen and West are ready to rectify that. They have strong form: with “RBG” in 2018, they charted the life and career of one of the most famous figures in America’s legal and judicial worlds, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg; and in upcoming “My Name Is Pauli Murray,” they shine a light on a less widely recognized figure, lawyer and activist Pauli Murray. Now they continue to widen their palate, with this latest doc on the culinary queen, the trailer for which offers an amuse-bouche of humor, insight, and mouth-watering food cinematography.
