2019 Directed by Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
When Áila encounters a young Indigenous woman, barefoot and crying in the rain on the side of a busy street, she soon discovers that this young woman, Rosie, has just escaped a violent assault at the hands of her boyfriend. Áila decides to bring Rosie home with her and over the course of the evening, the two navigate the aftermath of this traumatic event.
Very interesting film about a subject I'm passionate about. I happen to be spending time in the neighborhood this was shot in right now. Filmmakers Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers were kind enough to share a link with me before it hits TIFF and hopefully theaters later this year.
I found the depictions pretty accurate and the film is definitely coming from a good place -- interested in exploring the cycle of abuse and trauma. A miasma of despair most definitely looms over the world of the film.
Almost the entire film is a one take (and supposedly has hidden cuts yet they are impossible to spot). Cinematographer Norm Li (Beyond the Black Rainbow) does a fantastic job with non-jarring hand-held and from what I can tell, mostly natural lighting. Shot on Super 16mm.
Arri 416 Plus on Super16mm
Kodak 7219 500T
Hawk VLite16 1.3x Anamorphic Lenses
Scanned on Arriscan at 2K
Watched a Vimeo link
“So, take care?”
Beautiful, captivating storytelling that reminds viewers that the resources and options women have available to them are not always accessible in the way we imagine them to be. Cycles of abuse are difficult to break free from, even when the way out seems to be within reach. The dynamic between the two leads is contentious yet so genuinely empathetic, and I adored how both characters were so hard to pin down. The real-time pace of the film is a fantastic way of putting us in the characters' shoes, though I do think some cuts would’ve helped the film overall. Still a fantastic watch I can’t recommend enough.
The worst sort of superb film to see while sitting behind the four most discourteous people ever to set foot in a movie theatre. I’m almost impressed that they managed to talk to one another perpetually, legitimately without ceasing, for an entire hour and forty-five minute picture, presumably not paying attention to a single second of the runtime. Why they even bother attending a festival, I haven’t a clue. After several astonishingly unpleasant experiences over the last six or seven years, I think I can declare respectful cinema-going — at least in my eyes — a dead form of thoughtfulness.
unfortunate that netflix buried this gem, which has the best use of a joni mitchell song i’ve ever seen.
quiet, but so profound. a story about women looking out for each other, giving them space, and understanding the pain that is impossible to put into words.
Permit me to cook with a simple binary for a second, but I've thought a lot about how the single-shot setpiece feels like it's employed in very masculine contexts—tours of gangland and disco clubs, bank robberies, scenes of military prowess or military retreat, a man beats up several other men in a hallway, predatory cars prowling the night—and have wondered how such a technique could be employed towards a feminine expression. And, well, here is The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, a film executed in (mostly) a single take. It's unobtrusive—I didn't even notice until about a half hour in—but it feels absolutely essential to the film, a technique married to the emotional state of the players involved.…
The Letterboxd Era Catch-Up 4: 53 Days a Slave
The increasing focus on Netflix Originals and the fluctuating quality of them has distracted away from one of the genuinely good things that Netflix do.
They regularly add titles to their catalogue that were either little seen or, in the case of The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, almost completely unknown. They've taken a title here that may well have faded into obscurity and in the process have allowed people an accessible way to view a really quite beautiful film that is also easily one of the best films I've seen this year. They do deserve some credit for that.
The vast majority of the credit should obviously go…
Sometimes when I'm watching ASMR videos I think about how they mimic a basic need for intimacy and connection - just a person, hanging out with you, making human noises. I thought about ASMR a couple of times during this, with it's use of real time and diegetic sound. This isn't intended as a soothing bit of disposable media, like ASMR, and it succeeds in many other ways as a drama. But what struck me was how intimate it felt, how I was in those rooms with these women, and how watching each other can be so revelatory.
I added this to my watchlist entirely based on the title and the poster. Glad I choose to judge a book by the cover.
very rarely do you see a film that offers its characters so much space and dignity. cinema that emanates kindness and empathy from every gesture, everything omitted, everything said.
for her and others like her
Before I pick apart the primary formal choice in this film, let me say clearly and concisely: I really loved this. It was absolutely mesmerizing.
Violet Nelson and actor/co-director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers are both completely believable in their roles, and the choice to only show female faces for the entire movie (men talk, but always from off camera) really keeps us centered on the experiences the filmmakers want us focused on. It’s wonderfully adept social cinema.
Cool, now... the format. This was shot on super 16mm (by Norm Li who photographed the stunning Beyond the Black Rainbow) and is mostly presented as a single take meant to represent real time. Though there are hidden cuts, I think I spotted exactly one…
very blue but never cold. patient but urgent. very naturalistic lighting and writing with realism that breaks ur heart. gives u time to take a breath, have a sliver of hope, but knocks u back into place. lovely sensitivity from the writers and filmmakers. a gem
Netlfix I am BEGGING you please stop throwing all your effort into poorly made teen dramas and put some time into promoting your vast catalogue that most people don’t know about.
An experience that can only ever feel like it's growing to hurt even more as it goes on, but I think there's a great testament to the power in The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open just from everything that the small gestures can lead into. In moments of silence we can feel an incredible pain ringing throughout, but everything also feels so personal and it only adds more to the film's power as a result.
Yet on top of all that, it's just so gorgeously made - I eagerly await what's next in store for Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers within the future, because everything about her presence here can steal any viewer's heart.
This small but powerful Canadian indie gem was recommended to me with reference to another Director that adore (Chloe Zhao). The comparison is apt, estblishing itself within the first 10 minutes- the desire to capture the natural movement of its characters, the slower pace, the emphasis on faces.
Whereas Zhao's style integrates this with a vibrant cinematography, Dirctor Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Maija Tailfeathers (who also plays Aila) takes a more structural approach, using a lot of intentional framing to tell its story. There is an understated quality to the framing device, which utilizes long takes (mosly on long take actually) that position our perspective in particular directions, be it that of a particular character, observing what they see, or gradually…
a film that makes you sit with it i think it's pretty masterful in using the environment to tell the story and what goes unsaid is more powerful than what is
THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN is full of beautiful long takes as we spend several hours with the two main characters – Rosie (Violet Nelson) and Áila (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, who also co-wrote and co-directed). This felt like a truly authentic film as it explores the cycle of abuse and trauma. The quietness of the film really made me feel like I was right alongside these women during their struggles.
Currently available on CBC Gem in Canada. And possibly hidden on Netflix outside of Canada (??)
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019)
CAST: 5/10
STORY: 4/10
VISUALS: 6/10
SOUND: 5/10
PANACHE: 0/10
TOTAL: 6/10
This is an example of a good movie that I just didn't enjoy. It's really well-made, just not my thing at all. It's very real and raw and feels very unedited (even though it is; it was filmed on 16mm) and that might be a draw to some people. And if it is, I definitely recommend it!
I respect where this movie's coming from but hate the excetution. The long shot takes away from both the acting and directing since the camera is required to be in a spot where it can move to the next angle and the actors have to focus more on hitting their mark than acting. I understand that choice was probably made to heighten the realism but you can have long takes without the entire movie having to be in one shot. There was just a lot of wasted screen time and waiting around while the actors got ready to move to the next spot. Also, the story came off kind of like a white savior thing. It's not too bad of…
A depressing look at the cycles of abuse. Interesting class dynamics. I especially like that the soft-spoken, abused character is fierce, intelligent, and impossible to pin down.
"I woke up today and thought, 'Maybe today I talk.' Some days I don't even talk at all."
So focused and patient and careful.
Oi Canada, where’s the physical home release of this?? I’m desperately waiting for one.
This film is absolutely worthy of being in people’s collections and libraries - and deserves more recognition than it gets. Plus the 16mm needs to shine!
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