Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) presents Universal Language (آواز بوقلمون)

Set in an alternate universe where Canada’s official languages are French and Persian, this charming and surreal fable follows a triptych of seemingly unrelated stories of people navigating through a bleak Winnipeg winter. Behind layers of eclectic bizarreness lives a poignant message about the depth and importance of human connection and understanding. It’s also just genuinely hilarious.

A pitch-perfect follow up to his acclaimed debut feature The Twentieth Century, this similarly absurdist comedy won the Director’s Fortnight Audience Award at Cannes, and was Canada’s 2024 selection for Academy Award consideration.