The Twentieth Century: A Virtual Speed Cinema Presentation

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The Twentieth Century
Directed by Matthew Rankin

Streaming starts Monday, November 23

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“If Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Anna Biller, Guy Maddin, and Bette Davis’ Baby Jane wig raised a child together, it would be this movie.”—Kevin Ritchie, Now Toronto

With a striking visual design and jaw-dropping, gut-busting performances, director Matthew Rankin bursts on to the international film scene with this outrageous political comedy that is sure to become a cult hit.

In 1998, aspiring young politician Mackenzie King dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. His romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall.

In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his impervious Mother, the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, and the utopian idealism of a mystic before one, final test of leadership. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the twentieth century.

A selection of the Toronto International Film Festival. 2019, Canada, 90 minutes.  Recommended for 17+.