Une langue universelle

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is an oddball comedy that at first seems like something from the French "theatre of the absurd" of 100 years ago. One character is a tour guide in Winnipeg, a really dull town, especially in the dead of winter. It's fun to watch him try to make something interesting out of things like a dried-up fountain in the courtyard of a virtually deserted shopping mall, or a briefcase left at a bus stop in the 1970s. And there's the lady whose job is to promote the use of Kleenex. She goes to funerals giving out Kleenexes and encouraging people to cry. She herself collects her tears. In her closet, she has several jars of tears with labels on them indicating the years they were shed. There's a bingo parlor where the prizes are crates of Kleenex. Or the schoolboy who wants to be a comedian and goes around dressed and made up like Groucho Marx. And, of course, a turkey alleged to have won an avian beauty contest, who steals a boy's glasses. There are many other threads of the story that are all seemingly unrelated. I decided early on not to try to make sense of it and just see what happens next. I believe that that is the right strategy to take watching this movie. Amazingly it all comes together at the end to make a rather sweet and heartfelt story. It's in French and Farsi with English subtitles. Wisely clocking in at slightly less than an hour and a half, it's a delicate film with something to say about Love.

For its creativity, inventiveness, soundtrack, boldness, unique humor, cast, and sociolinguistic vision, it's a yes. For the film's length, contextual setup, and a few redundancies, it's less so. Excellent directing technique and a brilliant idea in how the characters are written in one of the film's final scenes (a remarkable process) and its significance up to the end. One shouldn't go into this movie expecting a linear narrative. That said, this aspect doesn't truly detract from the quality of the plot. A beautiful progression from Rankin as a director since his film The Twentieth Century. A few common elements between these two productions (dreamlike quality, kitsch...) are already beginning to define what will become his personal signature over time.

Philosophers and metaphysicians are generally quick to agree that we're all fundamentally connected, both to one another and to everything around us, that there's a certain universality binding all there is in our existence. But how many of us actually take the time to truly recognize, consider and appreciate this? Maybe this calls for stepping away from our everyday world and immersing ourselves in some sort of alternate version of it to see the inherent connections and the value that lie therein. That's what writer-actor-director Matthew Rankin so eloquently shows us in his second feature outing, an absurdist fable of seemingly unrelated stories that ultimately tie together to illustrate the bonds that unite us and how we can put them to best use for our collective benefit. This triptych of tall tales tells the stories of a Quebec government worker (Rankin) who quits his job to return home to visit his long-estranged mother in Winnipeg; a part-time tour guide (Pirouz Nemati) who leads small bands of visitors on an excursion of mundane, unimpressive alleged tourist sites in Manitoba's capital city; and a pair of concerned grade school classmates (Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi) who try to secure funds to help a friend (Sobhan Javadi) replace his lost eye glasses when they fall off and are quickly pilfered by a crafty. Free-roaming wild turkey. The assistance these individuals freely offer to others (and receive from them in kind) to get through the quirky challenges of these bizarre circumstances, in turn, reveals the unspoken "universal language" that binds all of us - our mutual compassion and support for one another, particularly those in need. All of this is set against the backdrop of an alternate version of Canada (where the primary language is Farsi) in winter, providing a fitting setting for wending our way through the cold world that surrounds us. "Universal Language" thus serves up a heartwarming, gentle yet insightful story that reminds us of our innate linkage and the goodwill that we're all capable of unselfishly extending to one another when warranted, something that, ideally, should come to us as second nature, as it does for the characters in this film. And all of this is nestled into a wealth of hilarious, off-the-wall humor, coming across like a mixture of Monty Python and Federico Fellini. Admittedly, the film's opening act may seem somewhat disjointed and perhaps even a bit too idiosyncratic for its own good at times, but these issues gradually dissipate as the picture plays out and the pieces of its various story threads begin piecing themselves together, revealing the aforementioned intrinsic connections among us. This delightful indie gem has largely flown below the radar thus far, despite its awards, nominations and rave reception at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, as well as its designation as one of the National Board of Review's Top 5 International Films of last year. Indeed, at a time when it seems like there's so much dividing us, it's gratifying to see a release like this, one that tenderly spotlights more of what binds us than what sets us apart.

What happens when you take the cultural traditions of two seemingly distant worlds and fuse them into a chaotically harmonious mosaic? In "Universal Language", Matthew Rankin crafts a story that's both absurdly specific and oddly universal, examining Canadian identity through the lens of a deeply personal reimagining. The result is an ode to multiculturalism, brimming with ironic humor, cultural parodies, and a warm humanity that transcends linguistic boundaries.

From the start, Rankin plunges us into an alternate Canada where Farsi and French are the official languages. This choice might seem random at first, but it's actually a meticulous effort to subvert traditional narratives of Canadian identity. The visual humor-like a Winnipeg school sign written in Persian script-sets the film's quirky tone, blending magical realism with deadpan comedy. Professor Bilodeau, played with biting wit by Mani Soleymanlou, becomes both a symbol of everyday exasperation and a tragicomic figure embodying the tensions between cultural tradition and innovation.

The journey of sisters Negin (Rojina Esmaeili) and Nazgol (Saba Vahedyousefi) captures Rankin's vision of childhood as a realm of improbable discoveries and absurd adventures. When they find a frozen banknote stuck in ice, their innocent desire to free it morphs into a mission that takes them through brutalist neighborhoods with monochromatic names. This icy, concrete setting deliciously contrasts with the cultural vibrancy brought to life by the sisters' Farsi dialogue and boundless energy. Their quest isn't just about retrieving a piece of money-it's a metaphor for perseverance and the search for meaning in an often indifferent world.

In a parallel narrative, Rankin inserts himself as a fictionalized version of himself, delivering a storyline that's equal parts comedic and introspective. His journey to visit his ailing mother in Manitoba highlights the peculiarities of Canadian life: a live turkey with its own seat on the bus, banal monuments celebrated as historical landmarks. This balance between the mundane and the surreal is where the film truly shines, transforming small, everyday details into sharp commentary on national identity, collective memory, and the bonds that connect us.

Rankin's cinematic influences are both obvious and masterfully employed. Winnipeg's aesthetic recalls the work of Guy Maddin, while the bizarre scenarios evoke Roy Andersson's humor. Yet at its heart, the film pulses with the sensitivity of Abbas Kiarostami. The classroom scenes, blending humor with a touch of melancholy, are a direct homage to Iranian cinema, adding a layer of universality that transcends geography. This cultural connection isn't a superficial gimmick but is deeply woven into the narrative, reflecting Rankin's genuine effort to explore what it means to belong in a constantly shifting world.

Even in its lightheartedness, "Universal Language" delivers a sharp critique of identity and cultural integration. By reimagining Canada as a space shared between two cultures, the film challenges xenophobia and isolation, offering a vision where differences are celebrated rather than erased. There's also a playful provocation in the film's visual and narrative choices, like Tim Hortons signs written in Farsi or pharmacies embracing the exaggerated minimalism of the No Name brand. These local jokes might not land as strongly with international audiences, but they add layers of authenticity for those familiar with Canadian cultural symbols.

What truly elevates "Universal Language", though, is its ability to balance absurdity with empathy. No matter how eccentric the situations get-whether it's Turks navigating the city or reenactments of 1950s parking lot incidents-the film never loses sight of its characters' humanity. The third act's role-swapping among actors reinforces the idea that, despite cultural or linguistic differences, we share a common essence.

In the end, Rankin delivers more than a film-he offers a cinematic experience that challenges conventions while celebrating life's complexity. "Universal Language" isn't just a cultural satire or a surreal homage; it's a reminder that, even in a fragmented world, there's still room for connection, understanding, and, of course, a little bit of madness.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE (2025) Matthew Rankin's absurdist film about finding one's self. Set in the Persian community in Canada, the story follows a government administrator named Matthew (and played by the Director) who leaves a position in French speaking Quebec to visit his mother in Winnipeg (he describes his job as the most "neutral" of his career). Along the way he encounters two schoolchildren who are trying to uncover some lost money which is encased in ice (where else?). He discovers that his mother is living with a tour guide, Massoud (Pirouz Nemati), and his family.

Rankin's screenplay (written in collaboration with Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi - who also has a role) is all about the journey. The script is full of witty details like insanely specific storefronts which specialize in only one thing - Birthday cakes, typewriters, chainsaws etc.. There are people wandering the streets asking if anybody needs to have their papers shredded - on the spot! A running gag involves a man (Bahram Nabatian) who is renowned for his knowledge of turkeys and has a series of TV commercials to spread his legend. And, of course, there's a very special Tim Hortons.

Shooting in 16mm, Cinematographer Isabelle Stachtchenko gives the film a strong formalist vision. The locations are often bland building after bland building or incongrous - such as a cemetary along a highway intersection. Rankin's compositions may remind one of a Roy Andersson or, more specifically, Winnipeg's own Guy Maddin. Iranian cinema is evoked. The dry dialogue can call to mind the great Aki Kaurismäki (he of equally frigid Finland), but Rankin makes UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE his own.

There is a bit of a metaphysical turn in the film which emphasises Rankin's theme of how every human must discover their own 'language'. It's not based on speech, nationality or country, but comes from within each and every individual. It's a fractured fairy tale in the best sense, at once witty, but subtely profound at the same time.

Travel Tip: When visiting Winnipeg keep in mind that loitering laws are Strictly Enforced.