Seven Veils – TIFF 2023
Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring
September 7 to September 17, 2023
Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault, Child abuse/pedophilia, Suicide
PROGRAMME
TIFF Special Presentations
A young opera director’s personal trauma transfers over into her production of Salome in Seven Veils. Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried) is a young theatre director tasked by the Canadian Opera Company with remounting a production of Richard Strauss’ biblical opera Salome, previously produced by her recently deceased mentor Charles. As Jeanine deals with her recent separation from her husband (Mark O’Brien) and returning traumatic memories of her father, her experiences begin framing the changes she makes to the production.
Seven Veils Synopsis
Seven Veils is an opera-set drama written and directed by Atom Egoyan, who reunites with star Amanda Seyfried following their previous collaboration with the 2009 erotic thriller Chloe. Seyfried stars as the young theatre director Jeanine, who is haunted by her past trauma, much of which was incorporated into the production of Salome she is remounting. During the production, Jeanine rekindles her friendship with one of the understudies (Douglas Smith), while another of the understudies (Vinessa Antoine) faces a moral development after an incident involving her prop master girlfriend Clea (Rebecca Liddiard).
My Thoughts on Seven Veils
Filmed predominantly in Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and incorporating Atom Egoyan’s own Canadian Opera Company production of Salome, Seven Veils can almost be described as an opera-themed reinterpretation of Daren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, in how both films involve protagonists whose work is affected by their own personal traumas. Amanda Seyfried is excellent in the lead in the lead role of Jeanine, bolstered by solid supporting performances by its Canadian cast.
