Arts·Commotion

How this Winnipeg-set film became a standout at Cannes

Film critic David Ehrlich explains the buzz surrounding the Canadian film Universal Language at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Film critic David Ehrlich talks how Universal Language captured the world's attention at this year's film fest

A scene from Universal Language.
A scene from Universal Language. (Metafilms)

Set in an alternate Winnipeg where residents speak Farsi and time appears frozen in the 1980s, Matthew Rankin's new film Universal Language intertwines haunting & comedic themes with a sense of hope.

Today on Commotion (beginning at 17:54 in the video below), film critic David Ehrlich joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss why there's so much buzz surrounding the film coming out of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with David Ehrlich produced by Ryan Chung.