Drift

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

With memories still fresh from a war that forced her to leave Liberia, Jacqueline (portrayed by the Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo) finds refuge on a Greek island, where the need for quick money drives her to offer massage services to wealthy tourists. However, her encounter with Callie (Alia Shawkat), an American tour guide, will awaken their shared desire for meaningful human connection. In his English-language debut, Cannes Golden Camera winner Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo) intricately melds two foundational thematic elements from his filmography – the concepts of identity and companionship. With maturity and subtle symbolic undertones, he juxtaposes the archetypal notion of the stranger against the wild natural landscape and the fluid element.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Anthony Chen

Script: Susanne Farrell, Alexander Maksik

Cinematography: Crystel Fournier

Editing: Hoping Chen

Sound: Jean Umanski, Boris Chapelle

Music: Ré Olunuga

Actors: Cynthia Erivo, Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, Vincent Vermignon

Production: Paradise City, Cor Cordium, Edith’s Daughter, Giraffe Pictures

Producers: Peter Spears, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed, Anthony Chen, Cynthia Erivo, Solome Williams

Co-production: Heretic

Co-producers: Giorgos Karnavas, Konstantinos Kontovrakis

Costumes: Matina Mavraganni, Mayou Trikerioti

Production Design: Danai Elefsinioti Jade Adeyemi

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: France, UK, Greece

Production Year: 2023

Duration: 93'

Contact: Memento International

Anthony Chen

Anthony Chen is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He is known for directing the feature films Ilo Ilo (2013) and Wet Season (2019). His debut feature film, Ilo Ilo, won the Camera d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, making him the first and only Singaporean to have been awarded at Cannes. Following his mandatory conscription in the army, Chen was admitted to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the United Kingdom. Graduating in 2010, two of his short films, Distance and Lighthouse, were released that year. The Break Away (2021) is Chen's short film contribution to the anthology The Year of The Everlasting Storm, selected at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.