Hirschfield International Film Series: Who by Fire

Director Philippe Lesage in attendance, Q and A to follow the screening.   Who by Fire Canada, 2024 Directed by Philippe Lesage   A “beautiful, unusual coming of age story” (Guy Lodge, Variety) this ensemble character drama is both subtle and shocking in a most understated way. Set during a weekend at a remote vacation cabin in Quebec, the slow - but searingly - developing story follows a group of people connected as friends and family: a father and his teenage daughter, her brother, his aspiring filmmaker friend, the father’s filmmaking collaborator and some of their friends. Their getaway is anything but relaxed or carefree - buried anger, frustrations, resentment and desires will erupt whenever the conversation or the vacation rituals expose a seam that’s ready to burst. A collection of virtuoso performances and a bold, unforgiving mise-en-scene make for a cinematic tour de force. This is uncompromising cinema, the kind that we don’t often get to see nowadays.   Dana Auditorium, screening at 7pm, pizza and popcorn at 6:30pm. Raffle for Middlebury students.