The Cinematheque

VIFF 2020

True North | BC Spotlight

Jennifer Abbott (co-director of both The Corporation and The New Corporation) returns with a game-changing rumination on acceptance and the psychology underpinning our existential climate crisis. Weaving correlations between our collective environmental paralysis and her sister’s journey with terminal illness, Abbott extends a generous form of film-therapy— an invitation to embrace the inevitability of death in the spirit of sisterly love. Stunning images from the depths of the Amazon to the tip of the Arctic punch home the immensity of what is at stake. As Australia battles extreme fires and the Republic of Kiribati braces its shores, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the defeatist knowledge that this island nation will vanish within our lifetime and those fires will only intensify. Hope is typically the lifeline one would seek in dire times, yet Abbott mounts a strong case for the contrary— the answer may rest in a darker, more profound place, where all hope is exhausted. Amidst global upheaval, The Magnitude of All Things unleashes a visceral catharsis that provides a roadmap toward climate action. – VIFF

World Premiere
Language: In English, Spanish, Kichwa with English subtitles
PROD: Andrew Williamson, Henrik Meyer, Jennifer Abbott, Shirley Vercruysse
SCR: Jennifer Abbott
CAM: Vince Arvidson
ED: Jennifer Abbott
Production Company: Cedar Island Films, Flying Eye Productions, The National Film Board of Canada