To the main content To the footer

Universal Language

Dir. Matthew Rankin
Constelation
Sat 9 Nov - Sun 17 Nov
Sat 9 Nov
-
Sun 17 Nov
  • Sat 9 Nov
    17:00 - 18:29
    Howard Assembly Room, Leeds
    Main Auditorium
    Tickets
  • Sun 10 Nov
    17:15 - 18:44
    Howard Assembly Room, Leeds
    Main Auditorium
    Tickets
  • Sun 17 Nov
    14:00 - 15:29
    Vue in the Light, Leeds
    Screen 11
    Tickets

Universal Language is a delightfully off-beat exploration of cultural identity set in a reimagined Canada that pays loving homage to the masters of Iranian cinema.

Winner of the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Matthew Rankin’s follow-up to the audacious The Twentieth Century (LIFF 2019) is a delightfully off-beat exploration of cultural identity set in a reimagined Canada. Iranian culture is transplanted into the snowy surroundings of Winnipeg, where Tim Hortons is a Persian Tea House, and Farsi and French are the national languages. Paying loving homage to the masters of Iranian cinema, Rankin evokes the films of Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi, while creating a unique cinematic language, making Universal Language one of the most original and distinctive films of the year.

"Universal Language is a magnificent film, one that feels warm and familiar even as we realize just how startlingly original it is." - Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture

Director: Matthew Rankin
Running time: 89 minutes
Production year: 2024
Country: Canada
Language: Persian, French
Subtitles: English subtitles
Print source: Best Friend Forever

Part of

Constellation

Constellation is the new name for our main programme section where we preview many of the most talked about films of the year and present UK Premieres of films from exciting new filmmakers in our feature film competition.