The Cinematheque

Vancouver Premiere

“Suspenseful and ultimately moving … Suggests a major Swiss talent.”

Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter

Life in a dreary Zurich suburb is enlivened for young couple David (Sven Schelker) and Jessy (Jasna Fritzi Bauer) by the fact they’re very much in love. But an unplanned pregnancy shatters their easy intimacy, and David’s anxiety around becoming a father consumes him with panic. Coming home together on the train one night, Jessy is harassed by some drunken louts; when David steps in, the head butt he receives lands him in hospital. Jessy assures him he did ​“everything right,” but David’s feelings of inadequacy drive him first to obsessive power-lifting and then to excessive doses of anabolic steroids—the effects of which endanger everything he sought initially to protect. An engrossing exploration of traditional male and female gender roles, and a sobering account of toxic masculinity.

Post-screening discussion with Dr. John Oliffe, Professor in UBC’s School of Nursing, and founder and lead investigator of UBC’s Men’s Health Research program. His work focuses on masculinities and their influence on men’s health, relationships, and quality of life. 

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia