CANADA | 2023 | 91 MIN. | ENGLISH & FRENCH DUB
THEATRICAL ON APRIL 12, 2024
GENRE · ROMANCE · COMEDY
Directed by Kim Albright · Written by Julia Lederer
Produced by Madeleine Davis
Starring Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Veena Sood and Donna Benedicto
In a world where everyone's heart is an object and there's a strong societal pressure to dampen emotion, lonely Virtual Insurance broker Anabel (Anna Maguire) always follows her heart. At odds with this overly pragmatic society, and after a series of devastating emotional blows, she rips her heart from her chest and gives it to a man she's fallen for, the strangely unfeeling George (Hamza Haq). Unburdened by her unique yet cumbersome heart, Anabel finds life easier.
George, on the other hand, begins to feel everything, to the shock of his overbearing mother, Mona (Veena Sood). Anabel soon realizes she needs to get her heart back if she's going to survive.
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« Charming, playful, and at times painful… For anyone who has ever been in love, and even more so, felt the deep pain of losing it, this film is sure to strike a chord. Optimistic, realistic, a whimsical manifestation of the emotional pains we all suffer, With Love and a Major Organ is one from the heart, whatever shape yours takes. »
« Ambitious and inventive... A creative and vibrant approach to storytelling that bursts with originality... Feels in good company alongside the likes of Charlie Kaufman and Yorgos Lanthimos. »
« A unique love story... Artistic without seeming overly stylised, and the script is beautifully poetic. »
KIM ALBRIGHT / DIRECTOR
Kim is an award winning Canadian-British-Filipina director. She featured on the British Film Institute (BFI) Upshot Program, showcasing "the most exciting emerging UK filmmaking talent". Her shorts have won awards and competed worldwide, including at the BAFTA-qualifying Encounters Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and the British Independent Film Festival. She is an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre Director’s Lab, the Canadian Academy Director's Program for Women, and Women In the Director's Chair (WIDC) Story & Leadership, and a recipient of the CBC Films WIDC Talent Development Award and the WIDC Feature Film Award.
JULIA LEDERER / WRITER
Julia is an internationally acclaimed writer. As a playwright, her work has been produced across North America and recently in Paris. As a play, With Love and a Major Organ was nominated for "Best Production" by the LA Drama Critics Circle (2017), and on Theatre By Numbers "Top 5 plays in Chicago" (2016). Julia is an alumna of Whistler Film Festival's Screenwriters Lab, and has been short-listed for Sundance Labs. Her films have screened at TIFF, Palm Springs, LA Comedy Shorts Festival, Cinequest Film Festival and Canadian Film Fest (award-winner).
Madeleine Davis / Producer
Madeleine is an award-winning Canadian producer. Her recent narrative producing credits include the feature film With Love and a Major Organ (2023) and the short film Dhulpa (2022), which has recently screened at VIFF and Festival du Nouveau Cinema, where it won the Jury Prize. Past work has screened at SXSW, TIFF, and VIFF and been recognized by the Juno Awards, Vimeo Staff Picks, the Prism Prize, Director’s Library and the UKMVA Awards.