Matthew Rankin weaves a whimsical, heartwarming tale of connection and cultural clash in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the official languages, but loneliness is the shared experience.
Set in Winnipeg, the film follows two parallel stories: young Nazgol and Hossein’s quest to recover a precious Iranian banknote for a classmate, and a fictionalized Matthew Rankin (played by Rankin himself), who quits his job in Montreal and returns home to Winnipeg to care for his mother. Along the way, he meets Massoud, a flustered tour guide navigating the city’s eccentric landmarks.
Winner of the inaugural Directors’ Fortnight audience award at Cannes, Universal Language is a gentle comedy with echoes of Abbas Kiarostami and Roy Andersson, filtered through Rankin’s distinct deadpan humour.
With its quirky charm and tender exploration of identity, this film is an affectionate ode to a Canada that can’t be easily contained.
