Set in 1975, Kanaval tells the story of Rico (Rayan Dieudonne), a young boy who lives with his mother on the coast of Haiti. However, when a playful jaunt into an annual celebration goes terrifyingly wrong, he and his mother flee to Quebec to find refuge. After taking up with an older couple who welcome them into their home, they attempt to navigate their new snowy home. But, for Rico, this new place to live carries different threats, causing him to create a new reality to subvert his experience.
Written and directed by Henri Pardo, Kanaval is an intense journey into the mind of a child. With his own unique blend of creativity and caution, Pardo ensures that Kanaval never allows the viewer to feel fully settled. Told entirely through the eyes of young Rico, we are left to watch the story unfold as he does. Listening to partial conversations through the stairwells and attempting to understand his mother’s actions leave his youthful mind spiraling and Pardo allows that to shape his storytelling.
Fusing whimsy and terror, Kanaval attempts to understand Rico’s world and his place within it. One of the best examples of this comes through the film’s opening scene as young Rico wanders out into the streets during Kanaval. Admiring all the madness with childlike wonder, Rico’s ventures into the chaos with glee. But, as characters become more terrifying, so too does Rico’s experience turn dark.
In Kanaval, Pardo clearly wants to display the realities and fear that accompany the refugee experience. By battling the shadows with the light, this is a film that relies on its characters to depict the emptiness that come with the loss of a home. Because, for young one’s like Rico, it can also steal a piece of your soul.
Kanaval is playing at TIFF ’23. For more information, click here.
