Rankin’s film has drawn comparisons to the work of fellow Canadian director Guy Maddin, as well as Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and even John Waters in its grotesque look at Canadian politics and identity. “The Twentieth Century” unfolds in the style of 1940s melodramas, but blends that with tinges of wartime propaganda films, and plenty more insanity. Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories:
Originally, “The Twentieth Century” premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival to raves. “The Twentieth Century” later went on to win the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, and was up for eight Canadian Screen Awards including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. The film won prizes for Best Art Direction/Production Design, Costume Design, and Hair. At TIFF in 2019, “The Twentieth Century” nabbed the prize for Best Canadian First Feature Film, and has been adored throughout its year-plus-long festival run.
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“Even without prior knowledge of our neighbor to the north, it can be enjoyed for its combination of supreme creativity, jaw-dropping audacity and amusing tongue-in-cheek dialogue,” wrote Variety.
“Take those Canadian history books, pile them up with maple-tree bark and set them ablaze,” wrote the Toronto Star.
Oscilloscope Laboratories releases “The Twentieth Century” in virtual cinemas on November 20.
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