Heartbeat
Written and directed by Andrea Dorfman
Canada, 2014
The struggle to find oneself is painfully real. Such pilgrimages of discovery are made more difficult by uncertainty, anxiety, imposing friends, and lingering exes. You can find yourself stuck in a habit that isn’t quite unbearable, that teeters so near comfortable complacence that you don’t realize you’re suffering silently. We latch onto troubling relationships to avoid the reality of our trepidation, and fail to grasp the very real benefits of solitude.
Andrea Dorfman’s latest film, Heartbeat, beautifully discusses all these anxieties as they apply to our heroine, Justine, played by the enchanting Tanya Davis. In a manner that feels innately Canadian, Heartbeat combines Halifax’s charm, and beautiful nature, with Davis’ soulful poetry, to form a touching dialogue on the nature of loneliness, and the rewards of truly living.
Davis takes center stage as protagonist Justine Porter. Literally.
Written and directed by Andrea Dorfman
Canada, 2014
The struggle to find oneself is painfully real. Such pilgrimages of discovery are made more difficult by uncertainty, anxiety, imposing friends, and lingering exes. You can find yourself stuck in a habit that isn’t quite unbearable, that teeters so near comfortable complacence that you don’t realize you’re suffering silently. We latch onto troubling relationships to avoid the reality of our trepidation, and fail to grasp the very real benefits of solitude.
Andrea Dorfman’s latest film, Heartbeat, beautifully discusses all these anxieties as they apply to our heroine, Justine, played by the enchanting Tanya Davis. In a manner that feels innately Canadian, Heartbeat combines Halifax’s charm, and beautiful nature, with Davis’ soulful poetry, to form a touching dialogue on the nature of loneliness, and the rewards of truly living.
Davis takes center stage as protagonist Justine Porter. Literally.
- 12/10/2014
- by Ariel Fisher
- SoundOnSight
Heartbeat is a story about self-discovery at the crossroads of life. Justine (Tanya Davis) is stuck in a rut as a twenty-something Halifax singer-songwriter in in a perpetual cycle of disappointment. She lives in her grandmother’s basement (and wears her granny’s old bras), can’t seem to pull the plug on her on-again-off-again relationship, and is slowly realizing that her life has come to a halt while her friends around her marry, have babies, and fully move into adulthood.
So what’s holding her up? As Justine slowly comes to terms with an embarrassing stage fright incident, she attempts to rekindle her true passion - music. Music is the key to opening doors to her future and possibilities with fellow musician Ruby (Stephanie Clattenberg).
Heartbeat, directed by Andrea Dorfman, recently held its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Look for our interview with star Tanya Davis...
So what’s holding her up? As Justine slowly comes to terms with an embarrassing stage fright incident, she attempts to rekindle her true passion - music. Music is the key to opening doors to her future and possibilities with fellow musician Ruby (Stephanie Clattenberg).
Heartbeat, directed by Andrea Dorfman, recently held its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Look for our interview with star Tanya Davis...
- 9/29/2014
- by Rachel West
- Cineplex
At a Tiff Telefilm Canada panel, four Canadian directors talked about current industry issues including film vs digital.
Jacob Tierney, Jeffrey St. Jules [pictured], Mathieu Denis, and Andrea Dorfman – these four names are just a sampling of the future of Canadian cinema. These up-and-coming directors sat down at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto today during a Telefilm Canada panel to express their attitudes towards new technologies and the changing medium of cinema, weighing in on a crucial debate that emerging filmmakers must confront: film or digital?
Moderator Richard Crouse: You’ve all been making films for at least 10 years, and in some cases, a bit longer than that. These 10 years, which have probably been the most tumultuous 10 years in filmmaking in recent memory, there have been changes in technology, how films are financed, and virtually every facet of the business. I wanted to ask each of you, as people...
Jacob Tierney, Jeffrey St. Jules [pictured], Mathieu Denis, and Andrea Dorfman – these four names are just a sampling of the future of Canadian cinema. These up-and-coming directors sat down at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto today during a Telefilm Canada panel to express their attitudes towards new technologies and the changing medium of cinema, weighing in on a crucial debate that emerging filmmakers must confront: film or digital?
Moderator Richard Crouse: You’ve all been making films for at least 10 years, and in some cases, a bit longer than that. These 10 years, which have probably been the most tumultuous 10 years in filmmaking in recent memory, there have been changes in technology, how films are financed, and virtually every facet of the business. I wanted to ask each of you, as people...
- 9/5/2014
- ScreenDaily
Editor’S Note: This is a capsule review. The full review will be released once the film hits theatres.
Heartbeat, the new film from Canadian director and animator Andrea Dorfman, is about a drifter looking for a purpose and spends much of its 95-minute running time searching for a pulse.
The aimless protagonist is Justine, a failed musician with a short black bob and square glasses. She is played by Tanya Davis, a more successful poet and singer-songwriter. Justine’s dreams of playing music felt flat when she fainted onstage during her first public show. Now living in her grandma’s home, a quaint and quiet place that fits well into the film’s Atlantic Canada setting, Justine taps her guitar nervously and waits for her friends to come over and talk over her.
When her ex-boyfriend decides they need some time apart, she searches for something to do. Could...
Heartbeat, the new film from Canadian director and animator Andrea Dorfman, is about a drifter looking for a purpose and spends much of its 95-minute running time searching for a pulse.
The aimless protagonist is Justine, a failed musician with a short black bob and square glasses. She is played by Tanya Davis, a more successful poet and singer-songwriter. Justine’s dreams of playing music felt flat when she fainted onstage during her first public show. Now living in her grandma’s home, a quaint and quiet place that fits well into the film’s Atlantic Canada setting, Justine taps her guitar nervously and waits for her friends to come over and talk over her.
When her ex-boyfriend decides they need some time apart, she searches for something to do. Could...
- 9/4/2014
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
Toronto film festival organisers have programmed features from 42 countries in the Contemporary World Cinema (Cwc) programme and unveiled eight South Korean selections in the City To City.
Cwc features latest work by Jessica Hausner, Rolf de Heer, Christian Zübert and Ryuichi Hiroki, among others.
For the third year, Tiff (Sept 4-14) has partnered with the University of Toronto’s Munk School Of Global Affairs on the Contemporary World Speakers series, pairing five films in selection with expert scholars.
The Contemporary World Speakers series is programmed in conjunction with the Tiff Adult Learning department.
Contemporary World Cinema
Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.
Aire Libre (Argentina), Anahí Berneri IP
Amour Fou (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany), Jessica Hausner Nap
Behavior (Conducta) (Cuba), Ernesto Daranas Cp
Bird People (France), Pascale Ferran Nap
Black Souls (Anime Nere) (Italy), Francesco Munzi IP
Breathe (Respire) (France), Mélanie Laurent Nap
Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer Nap
*John Stackhouse...
Cwc features latest work by Jessica Hausner, Rolf de Heer, Christian Zübert and Ryuichi Hiroki, among others.
For the third year, Tiff (Sept 4-14) has partnered with the University of Toronto’s Munk School Of Global Affairs on the Contemporary World Speakers series, pairing five films in selection with expert scholars.
The Contemporary World Speakers series is programmed in conjunction with the Tiff Adult Learning department.
Contemporary World Cinema
Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.
Aire Libre (Argentina), Anahí Berneri IP
Amour Fou (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany), Jessica Hausner Nap
Behavior (Conducta) (Cuba), Ernesto Daranas Cp
Bird People (France), Pascale Ferran Nap
Black Souls (Anime Nere) (Italy), Francesco Munzi IP
Breathe (Respire) (France), Mélanie Laurent Nap
Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer Nap
*John Stackhouse...
- 8/12/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
New work by Sturla Gunnarsson, Denys Arcand, Ruba Nadda and Xavier Dolan are among the selection set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) next month.
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
- 8/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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