ReelHeART International Film Festival
Toronto, July 9, 2015
For Immediate Release
= World to Come world premiere at the ReelHeART = Feature-length film by Winnipeg film-makers Trevor Mowchun and Daniel Eskin is nominated for best Canadian film at the festival.
Doveed, the lead character, returns to his hometown following a school friend’s suicide and re-enters a religious community ruined by years repressing unspeakable brutalities, a community trapped in a moral cul de sac. He encounters Howard, one of many lost souls drowning in a collective guilt.
A lawyer, Howard, through sins of omission, is complicit in unleashing a tidal wave of trauma upon many innocent children within the community. Unable to face his past and acknowledge his complicity, he now finds himself divorced, estranged from his only daughter, and dependent upon alcohol.
Struggling to comprehend the depth of the trauma and apply the law of the good, to point his finger with conviction and accurately identify an accountable culprit, Doveed navigates the uncanny labyrinth of a present without past or future, a present in pieces, and, in the process, puts his own faith in an ordered cosmos to the test.
“Trying to make sense of how a betrayal of such magnitude goes unrecognized, for so long that it leaves a legacy of mistrust, fear, and spiritual destruction was a major challenge for Daniel and me,” said Trevor Mowchun. “We knew we needed to deal truthfully with the story, but we also wanted to avoid tearing the scabs off the wounds, which have finally begun to heal.”
“As a whole,” Trevor said, “our cinematic exploration strives to reach beyond politics and social criticism, delving into the very heart of a world that is fraught with a tragedy that cannot be undone, a tragedy that is beyond the realm of justice, beyond the answer of a Creator. It is ultimately a film about human nature, about humans who cannot live in nature because all they can do is look at it and dream of a better world—and we found ourselves bending the rules of narrative cinema in order to bring it to light.”
ReelHeART Director’s Comment: Here’s what smart about this film. I had no idea this film was based on a horrific true “Canadian” story. There was only one nugget that lead me to that discovery. So I Googled and sure enough – There were tons of salacious stories and a peek into a culture’s dark history that they would rather be covered up and never mentioned. When a person’s actions ultimately take a young life, everyone should know about this headline grabbing occurrence and keep the investigation going to ensure similar incidents don’t ever happen again. I implore you all to come and see this film on our closing night. There’ll be lots to think about and discuss…
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World to Come
Saturday, July 11, 2015, 7PM
Jackman Hall - 317 Dundas Street West Toronto
For Information: Contact
Trevor Mowchun – 514.831.9467; trevormowchun@gmail.com