Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
| Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| French | Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant |
| Directed by | Ariane Louis-Seize |
| Written by | Christine Doyon Ariane Louis-Seize |
| Produced by | Jeanne-Marie Poulain Line Sander Egede |
| Starring | Sara Montpetit Félix-Antoine Bénard Steve Laplante |
| Cinematography | Shawn Pavlin |
| Edited by | Stéphane Lafleur |
Production company | Art et Essai |
| Distributed by | H264 |
Release dates |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (French: Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant) also released under the title Humanist Vampire Too Sensitive to Kill, is a 2023 Canadian French-language vampire comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Ariane Louis-Seize.[1] It stars Sara Montpetit as Sasha, a teenage vampire who befriends Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), a boy with suicidal tendencies.
Plot[edit]
Sasha is a teenage vampire who struggles with the morality of killing people for their blood; however, after her parents cut off her blood supply, she enters a pact with Paul, a suicidal and very depressed boy, on the condition that she must spend the night helping him finish the things he still wants to do before he dies.[2]
Cast[edit]
- Sara Montpetit as Sasha
- Félix-Antoine Bénard as Paul
- Steve Laplante as Father
- Sophie Cadieux as Mother
- Noémie O'Farrell as cousin Denise
- Marie Brassard as aunt Victorine
- Arnaud Vachon as Henry
- Madeleine Péloquin as Sandrine
- Gabriel-Antoine Roy as JP
- Isabella Villalba as Mélisse Bessette
- Patrick Hivon as Coach Goyette
- Marc Beaupré as Rico
- Micheline Bernard as Principal Gauvin
- Sylvie Lemay as Renaude
- Ariane Castellanos as Claudie
- Lilas-Rose Cantin as young Sasha
- Valence Laroche as young Denise
Production[edit]
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person was shot in fall 2022 in Montreal.[3]
Release[edit]
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2023.[4] The film had its Canadian premiere in the Centrepiece program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival,[5] and received a gala screening at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.[6] It also screened in the Noves Visions section at the 56th Sitges Film Festival.[7]
Critical response[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A teen coming-of-age story with an undead twist, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person proves consistently charming even as it hits a number of expected genre beats."[8]
Nikki Baughan of Screen Daily wrote that "Louis-Seize leans heavily into European arthouse influences for her French-language production. Sasha — who is, in fact 68 (although still a teenager in human years) — is presented as something of an ingenue, her long dark hair, blunt fringe and doe eyes giving her both a vulnerability and an intriguing edge. She listens to vinyl, she plays the keyboard, she is by nature (and necessity) a loner. Her connection with Paul is immediate and surprising, and the chemistry between the two is authentic."[9]
The film was included in TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.[10]
Awards[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Éric Lavallée, "Bloodsuckers: Sara Montpetit Toplines Ariane Louis-Seize's 'Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant'". Ion Cinema, October 25, 2022.
- ^ Guillaume Picard, "Le film «Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant» présenté à Venise". Le Journal de Montréal, July 27, 2023.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Ariane Louis-Seize en tournage". Films du Québec, November 17, 2022.
- ^ "Vampire dramedy, tribute to late Jean-Marc Vallée set for Venice film sidebar". Toronto Star, July 27, 2023.
- ^ Hazelton, John. "TIFF sets Centrepiece line-up of international cinema". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ Heidi Ulrichsen, "Cinéfest 2023 features strong Canadian content". Sudbury.com, August 23, 2023.
- ^ "The Festival's 56th Edition Kicks Off by Announcing its Complete Lineup". Sitges Film Festival. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ "Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Nikki Baughan, "'Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person': Venice Review". Screen Daily, September 3, 2023.
- ^ Pat Mullen, "TIFF's Canada's Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
- ^ Marta Bałaga, "'Radical and Courageous' Dark Comedy 'Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person,' 'Through the Night' Pick Up Venice Days Awards". Variety, September 8, 2023.
- ^ Aryn Toombs, "Winners of 2023 CIFF competitions unveiled". LiveWire Calgary, September 25, 2023.
- ^ "Summer Qamp, Drawing a Life audience favourites at CIFF". LiveWire Calgary, October 3, 2023.
- ^ "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners". Sudbury.com, September 28, 2023.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "(FNC 2023) Chloé Leriche et Ariane Louis-Seize récompensées". Films du Québec, October 16, 2023.
- ^ Connie Thiessen, "'Women Talking' leads winners at 22nd annual DGC Awards". Broadcast Dialogue, October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Horror comedy from Ariane Louis-Seize wins Windsor International Film Festival prize". Toronto Star, October 29, 2023.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (January 22, 2024). "Oppenheimer Leads Vancouver Film Critics Circle Nominations With Six Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ Erik Anderson, "Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Awards: 'The Zone of Interest' Wins Best Picture, Director". AwardsWatch, December 17, 2023.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Les finalistes du 13e PCCQ". Films du Québec, January 11, 2024.
- ^ "BlackBerry Leads CSA Nominations". Northern Stars, March 6, 2024.
- ^ Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts". Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024.
