KANAVAL

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KANAVAL (2023) by Henri Pardo
Fantasy Adventure 107'
Canada Luxembourg French with English subs
Awards Prix Du Public - Cinemania 2023 Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Film - TIFF 2023
Festivals Zlin FF 24, Lux FF 24 WP - TIFF 2023

In the early 70s, after leaving their troubled hometown in Haiti, a young boy and his mother settle in a small rural village in Quebec where the boy counts on his invisible friend to understand the new world around him.

''An endearing story of trauma and displacement''

David Abbatescianni, Cineuropa

''An engaging film wrapped in mysticism and hope''

Courtney Small, That Shelf

''Compelling''

Robert Stephen, A Little Birdie Told Me

Rico (Rayan Dieudonné) is a curious boy, living with his mother Erzulie (Penande Estime) on the coast of Haiti in 1975. During an annual celebration, he slips out into the night to witness legends come to life and the masks and costumes of revellers. We see Kanaval from the point-of-view of Rico, as a blending together of real and magical moments. Everything is exuberant and fascinating, until he returns home to find his mother being attacked.

Migrating to safety in Canada. While Rico tries to make sense of the snowy province, and racist bullies all around, he’s unable to grasp why his mother, is becoming distant from him. So he does what many six-year-olds do, and conjures up an imaginary friend, Kana (Tyler Epassy), from Haitian myth, who becomes his guide to figuring out the alien world he’s found himself in.

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