Toronto Filmmaker’s “The Things You Kill” – Oscars Submission
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Canada Submits Alireza Khatami’s “The Things You Kill” for Oscar Consideration
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The psychological thriller, inspired by the director’s personal family trauma, has been selected as Canada’s entry for the Best International Feature film category at the 96th Academy Awards.
Overview
The Things You Kill, directed by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Alireza Khatami, will represent Canada in the competition for the Best International Feature Film award at the 96th Academy Awards, as announced by Telefilm Canada on September 26, 2023. The film,a Turkish-language psychological thriller,premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, where it received the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award.
The Film’s Narrative and Inspiration
The Things You Kill centers on Ali, a university professor confronting the unresolved circumstances surrounding his mother’s death and his own complex role within his family. Khatami describes the film as “autofiction,” a process of taming your experience to fit into this rectangular silver screen of cinema
. He emphasized that the creative process involved not to make up somthing but to prune it and trim it
, drawing from years of grappling wiht deeply personal family trauma.
Khatami’s Personal Connection and Concerns
Khatami,a professor at a Toronto university,expressed a sense of vulnerability regarding the film’s deeply personal nature. He admitted to feeling daunting
at the prospect of sharing such intimate material with audiences, stating, I don’t think it’s natural for anybody to go in front of an audience and say, ‘Hey, this is my guts. Here is a can of worms I want to open that nobody has seen.’
” He specifically voiced concern about his family’s reaction, expressing his scared
of showing the film to them.
Sundance Recognition and Upcoming Release
The film’s success at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award, has generated significant buzz.The 2023 Sundance Film Festival award winners were announced on January 27, 2023. The things You Kill is scheduled for theatrical release in the coming weeks, providing wider access to the film for audiences.