BBFF25 Universal Language

Step into Universal Language, Matthew Rankin’s genre-defying, absurdist comedy set in a dream-like Winnipeg that feels as much like Tehran as it does Canada. In this surreal triptych, a pair of schoolchildren discover a banknote frozen in ice and embark on a wintry quest. Elsewhere, a disillusioned tour guide leads befuddled visitors through peculiar cityscapes. And Rankin himself portrays a government worker returning to care for his aging mother - only to find his place usurped in her heart. Blending deadpan humour with melancholic whimsy, the film weaves Farsi and French dialogue into snow-blanketed streets and teahouses, creating a world remarkably strange and emotionally poignant. It is playful yet profound, an oddball delight where the familiar becomes mysterious and the bizarre becomes beautiful. Universal Language captured audiences - and critics - across the globe. At Cannes Critics’ Fortnight it made history by claiming the inaugural Audience Award, the first ever in that section. The film went on to win the prestigious Bright Horizons Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, cementing its reputation as a singular, unforgettable cinematic experience.