Hotel employee Lisa develops an obsession with her co-worker Lance, a struggling actor who has appeared in several films as an extra.

Desire in Motion is thrilled to present Speaking Parts (1989) with an in-person Q&A with director Atom Egoyan!

Atom Egoyan always balances on a fine line between experimentalism and accessibility. His expansive oeuvre of films tell layered, rich stories without heavy-handed exposition or tell-all final act monologues. The characters in Egoyan’s films are labyrinthian, each tormented by their unachievable desires and conflicting emotions.

In Speaking Parts, Lisa, played by Egoyan’s partner and frequent collaborator Arsinée Khanjian, says, “There’s nothing special about words”. Taken in a literal sense, the film evokes an ominous, textured atmosphere with visuals alone, similar to other intentionally mysterious filmmakers like David Lynch. Silent gazes, bodies wandering vacant spaces like ghosts, and moody, dialogue-free sequences often soundtracked by Mychael Danna’s equally mystifying scores are staples of an Atom Egoyan film. Through the use of videotapes, home movies, telephones, screens, and cameras, Speaking Parts emphasizes barriers between people and explores how these technologies become extensions of the characters themselves who are unwilling, or unable, to connect with the person on the other side. -JACOB CREPEAULT

Poster designed by Simon Crepeault

Feat. post-screening Q&A with writer/director Atom Egoyan

Doors Open 30 Minutes Before Showtime.