When Flowers Are Not Silent looks at the aftermath of protests in Belarus against the country’s long-standing leader Alexander Lukashenka – who in 2020 claimed more than 80% of all votes – after the European Union, local opposition and a large part of the population called foul on the election results.
On election night in 1981, celebrations spill out onto the street and there is an air of hope and change throughout Paris. But for Elisabeth, her marriage is coming to an end and she will now have to support herself and her two teenage children. She finds work at a late-night radio show and encounters a troubled teenager named Talulah whom she invites into her home. With them, Talulah experiences the warmth of a family for the first time. Although she suddenly disappears, her free spirit has a lasting influence. Elisabeth and her children grow in confidence and begin to take risks, changing the trajectory of their lives.
Films We Like is thrilled to announce that DRIVE MY CAR is on the road to the Oscars with four Academy Awards nominations. Lauded by audiences and critics, the Japanese Oscar entry directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami, is a contender for four Academy Awards:
BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Films We Like celebrates the re-opening of cinemas with 2021’s most acclaimed film Drive My Car. Audiences across Canada can now discover the Cannes award winning film that is on over forty years best lists including the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best International Film.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s award-winning film, adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami, is a haunting road movie that travels a path of love, loss, acceptance, and peace.
Set during a smallpox epidemic in the village of Gimli, Manitoba near the turn of the century, Tales From The Gimli Hospital is a dreamlike, elliptical film which explores the jealousy and madness instilled in two men who share a hospital room "in a Gimli we no longer know."
Films We Like presents DRIVE MY CAR a film by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Based on the short story by Haruki Murakami
*Japan’s official entry Academy Awards
**Cannes 2021 Best Screenplay, FIPRESCI Award and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Following its successful World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s haunting road movie DRIVE MY CAR opens in-cinemas across Canada beginning with a special presentation on November 26 at Toronto’s Bell Lightbox.
It’s Thanksgiving Day, 1970, the Atlantic Ocean. A US patrol boat meets a Soviet fishing vessel. A Soviet sailor jumps across the icy water onto the American boat in a frantic bid for freedom. To his horror, and to the outcry of the world media, the Americans return him to the Soviets. Through rare archival footage and a dramatic, first-person re-enactment by the would-be defector, 86-year-old Simas Kudirka, we relive one of the most unpredictable Cold War muddles.
Judith (Virginie Efira) is leading a busy double life: one in France and one in Switzerland. She has two lovers, Abdel (Quim Gutiérrez) with whom she has a little girl Ninon (Loïse Benguerel), and Melvil (Bruno Salomone), with whom she has two older boys. What seems like a delicate balancing act from Judith is a life built on lies, secrets, and a constant juggle between the same conversations without making any progress. With pressure mounting steadily on Judith from both her personal and professional life, she starts to crack under pressure and gets caught in a trap. With a decision needing to be made on which life she wants to choose, Judith decides to run away from it all, losing all control while the situation spirals out of control.
Opens Friday, October 22, 2021 Across Canada!
Master filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, best known for his contribution to the Japanese horror genre, (Pulse, Cure, Tokyo Sonata) won the Silver Lion (Best Director) at the Venice Film Festival for this riveting, gorgeously crafted, old-school Hitchockian thriller!
Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director is happily married to Oto, a screenwriter. However, Oto suddenly dies after leaving behind a secret. 2 years later, Kafuku, still unable to fully cope with the loss of his wife, receives an offer to direct a play at a theatre festival and drives to Hiroshima with his car. There, he meets Misaki, a reticent woman assigned to become his chauffeur. As they spend time together, Kafuku confronts the mystery of his wife that quietly haunts him.
Originally released in 1967, RUSH TO JUDGEMENT presents evidence from first hand witnesses of the Kennedy assassination to challenge the conclusions of the Warren Commission’s Report that three shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository.
When a magic trick goes awry at a children’s birthday party, the authoritative father of the family turns into a chicken. An avalanche of coincidental absurdities befalls everyone; the mother, whose mundane life was dedicated to her husband and children, is now urged to come to the fore and take care of her family. While moving heaven and earth to bring her husband back and secure their survival, she goes through a total transformation
Romanian auteur Radu Muntean’s latest is an incisive, mordant, and suspenseful drama about the limits of generosity, as a trio of volunteers delivering relief to a remote village are led on a detour by a stranger.
Films We Like has acquired the Canadian rights to HIT THE ROAD from Celluloid Dreams. HIT THE ROAD is the feature debut of Iranian writer-director Panah Panahi, which had its world premiere at Director’s Fortnight at Cannes 2021.
Combining interviews of the progenitors of the movement with electrifying
performances, director Tom Surgal weaves a story of art and politics during a tumultuous changing era, capturing the sights and sounds of one of the most innovative movements in music history. The intensity of the music and the outlandish personalities of the artists who played it make for a compelling story.
A group of Osaka textile workers are transformed into a fiercely competitive volleyball team by their astonishingly ruthless coach whose unconventional techniques emphasize speed and aggression. A record-setting winning streak and a dramatic 1964 Tokyo Olympics triumph follow. Wonderful archival footage of the women in training and on the court, animated versions of their championship games, and moving interviews with the women today are set to a pulsating electronic score.
Moby Doc is a surrealist biographical documentary narrated by Moby as he reflects on his turbulent personal life and iconic music from underground punk bands to chart-topping solo artist, and from struggling addict to vegan activist.
Canadian indie film distributor Films We Like have teamed up with social cinema platform Hoovie to create Preview Club: a members-only monthly streaming series of first-look festival hits! And to help with the conversations, we’ve partnered with BC organic winery SUMMERHILL PYRAMID WINES to pair every film with a stellar bottle of Okanagan Valley wine.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Films We Like has acquired Canadian rights to Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir, the last completed film from director James Redford.
PERFUMES is available to stream starting April 30th. Virtual cinema stream can be accessed via this link.
Anne Walberg is a master of the art of making perfumes. She creates fragrances and makes a fortune selling her incredible gift to multiple companies. However, she often comes off as selfish and temperamental...a real diva. Guillaume is her new driver and the only one who dares to stand up to her. Yet there is something special about him that keeps her from firing him.
