Universal Language (2024)

Matthew Rankin’s latest film presents a whimsical vision of Canada where Persian and French are the official languages, and loneliness is a prevailing theme. In Winnipeg, children embark on quirky adventures or don Groucho Marx costumes to bewilder the adults, occasionally disrupting tours led by the flustered Massoud, who struggles to explain the city's unusual landmarks. Meanwhile, in Montreal, government worker Matthew leaves a job he despises and takes the first bus home to Manitoba to visit his mother, only to discover that his family is not quite as he imagined.