Toronto Film Fest Adds Wang Bing, Roberto Minervini, Miguel Gomes Films to Wavelengths

Toronto Film Fest Adds Wang Bing, Roberto Minervini, Miguel Gomes Films to Wavelengths

As a seasoned gamer of the cinematic universe, I eagerly anticipate the Toronto Film Festival every year. The Wavelengths program, with its focus on artist-driven experimental work, always offers a unique and thought-provoking experience that I crave like a rare collectible in my gaming life.


The Toronto Film Festival has revealed its lineup for the Wavelengths section, showcasing artistic, experimental films from innovative directors such as Wang Bing, Roberto Minervini, and Miguel Gomes.

Featuring 11 different elements, the Wavelengths segment will showcase a 14-hour documentary titled “Exergue – on documenta 14” directed by Dimitris Athiridi. The documentary will be divided into three screenings.

As a cinephile who has attended numerous film festivals over the years, I can confidently say that this upcoming section promises to be an unmissable event for anyone passionate about cinema. Featuring North American premieres of several critically acclaimed films, including Wang Bing’s Youth trilogy, Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour, Roberto Minervini’s The Damned, and Pepe by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, it offers a diverse range of perspectives on life and history. Each film has been recognized for its exceptional storytelling and unique approach to storytelling, making this section an exciting opportunity to experience these masterpieces firsthand. I am particularly intrigued by the life and death reflections of a hippo with connections to Pablo Escobar in Pepe, as it promises to be a fresh and thought-provoking take on a lesser-known subject. Overall, this section will undoubtedly provide a rich and enlightening cinematic experience that I am eagerly anticipating.

Last year, Toronto showcased Wang’s film titled “Youth (Spring)“, which was a contender at Cannes and focuses on the lives of Chinese textile workers.

For the 2024 version of Wavelengths, other North American premieres include Jessica Sarah Rinland’s “Collective Monologue,” which takes place in a community consisting of zoos and animal rescue centers across Argentina; Trương Minh Quý’s queer romantic film “Viêt and Nam, previously screened in Cannes”; and “Lázaro at Night” by Nicolás Pereda, a drama that explores a love triangle set in Mexico City.

The Wavelengths production company has arranged screenings in North America for the films “Perfumed With Mint” and “The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire”. “Perfumed With Mint”, directed by Muhammed Hamdy, is a story about a doctor dealing with a peculiar patient who grows mint plants from his body. On the other hand, “The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire” is a biographical movie by Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, focusing on Suzanne Césaire, an influential anti-colonialist writer and pioneer in Afro-surrealism.

Additionally, there’s a unique presentation of “Drama 1882” by Wael Shawky, his opera specifically created for the Egyptian pavilion during the 2024 Venice Biennale, under the title “Wavelengths.”

Highlights from TIFF’s Wavelengths selection feature the world debuts of “Archipelago of Earthen Bones — To Bunya” by Malena Szlam and “A Black Screen Too” by Rhayne Vermette. Additionally, the North American premiere is scheduled for “The Diary of a Sky,” directed by Lawrence Abu Hamdan.

On Thursday, Toronto revealed that the TIFF Classics series will showcase restored 4K versions of films such as Shahid Sohrab Saless’ “Time of Maturity”, Lino Brocka’s “Bona”, Atom Egoyan’s “The Sweet Hereafter”, and Raj Kapoor’s “Awāra”, in which he also acted.

The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from Sept. 5 to 15.

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2024-08-08 17:24