| Kanaval | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Henri Pardo |
| Written by | Henri Pardo Kim Nguyen |
| Produced by | Eric Idriss Kanago Daniela Mujica Adolf El Assal Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda |
| Starring | Rayan Dieudonné Penande Estime Martin Dubreuil |
| Cinematography | Glauco Bermudez |
| Edited by | Marc Recchia |
Production companies | Yzanakio Wady Films |
| Distributed by | Maison 4:3 Wady Media |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | Canada Luxembourg |
| Language | French |
Kanaval is a 2023 drama film, directed by Henri Pardo. A co-production of companies from Canada and Luxembourg, the film centres on Rico (Rayan Dieudonné), a young boy who has emigrated with his mother Erzuile (Penande Estime) from their native Haiti to a small town in Quebec, where they live with childless older couple Albert (Martin Dubreuil) and Cécile (Claire Jacques).[1]
The cast includes Hana Sofia Lopes, Jean Jean, Marc Assiniwi, Christian Cardin, Carol Beaudry, Rykko Bellemare and David Biron.
The film's production was first announced in 2020, when it received support from the Netflix/Canadian Film Centre Project Development Accelerator project.[2] It entered production in April 2022, with shooting in both the Dominican Republic and Canada.[3]
The film premiered in the Centrepiece program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]
Critical response
Courtney Small of That Shelf wrote that "Kanaval may not land all of the sprawling ideas it has flying in the air, but there is plenty to appreciate here. Anchored by Rayan Dieudonné’s moving wide-eyed performance, Pardo crafts an engaging film wrapped in mysticism and hope. Kanaval understands that the road that Rico and Erzuile find themselves on is one filled with uncertainty. However, the challenges are far more manageable when they are tackling them together."[1]
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.[5]
Awards
At TIFF, the film was winner of the Amplify Voices Award for Best Film, and received an honorable mention from the Best Canadian Film jury.[6]
References
- 1 2 Courtney Small, "Tiff 2023: Kanaval review". That Shelf, September 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Netflix, Canadian Film Centre announce 4 films for development". CBC News, May 4, 2020.
- ↑ "Yzanakio entame le tournage de « Kanaval », premier long métrage d’Henri Pardo". Lien Multimédia, April 21, 2022.
- ↑ John Hazelton, "TIFF sets Centrepiece line-up of international cinema". Screen Daily, August 10, 2023.
- ↑ Pat Mullen, "TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
- ↑ Steve Pond, "‘American Fiction’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s Audience Award". TheWrap, September 17, 2023.