Until Branches Bend
A distraught cannery worker discovers an invasive insect that could threaten the livelihood of her entire town.
Interview with Writer/Director Sophie Jarvis
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I grew up visiting my grandparents in a small town called Summerland. I have always been drawn to the atmosphere of this place - the heat, the palette, the textures. It is as idyllic as the name suggests. In the summertime, it is famous for its stone fruit. It is also known for its world-class research station that specializes in fruit pests. I was interested in the idea of how something as small as a bug could pose a huge threat to the farms in this region.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
As every filmmaker would say, please see this film in a theatre! We filmed on 16mm and it is gorgeous. The score and sound design are next level. I'm completely unbiased.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The original title for this film was "Invasions". We changed it right before the premiere at TIFF because we were worried that the title came off as too alien/ sci-fi / macho action movie. Which this film is not. But, I still think of "invasions" as a unifying theme. It comes through in the personal (the main character struggles with an unwanted pregnancy), the plot (an invasive beetle species threatens the crops), and also in the colonial history of the land (we filmed on Syilx territory in the Okanagan).
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote the first draft in 2016. We filmed in the summer of 2021. As you can imagine, the script underwent many iterations during these five years. It is imbued with all my anxieties of that time capsule, including the climate crisis and the state of reproductive rights. Although we filmed in Canada, the story is speculative. It is set in a more ambiguous space, in a fictional town called Montague, which could be anywhere in North America.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Really positive! I just got home from our Asian premiere in Beijing, and I was amazed to hear many of the same questions and observations from the audience there as I have received in North America. I'm glad that it's hitting a universal note for people.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
To be able to share my film with audiences is a huge honour. Every single person is going to have a unique relationship to a piece of work, because of their own perspective and life experience. So no matter what type of feedback I receive, I take it with the knowledge that art is subjective and am happy that this film generates a dialogue after viewing.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
So much incredible talent, support, and hard work went into making this film. I hope that our presence here brings Until Branches Bend to a wider audience.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are currently seeking distribution outside of Canada.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that it prompts reflection, both on the subject matter as well as the viewer’s own reaction to it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
In what other ways does the theme of “invasions” show up in the film?
Would you like to add anything else?
If you're coming to the Seattle International Film Festival, I also have a short film playing called Zeb's Spider in the "Animal Instincts" collection. This is a stop-motion animation that I co-directed with Alicia Eisen for the National Film Board of Canada.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm in early development on a couple of new feature film projects right now. One that I am working on is about a young woman who accompanies her mother to a controversial wellness center in Switzerland in hopes of finding a miracle cure for her debilitating migraines.
Interview: May 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Until Branches Bend
A distraught cannery worker discovers an invasive insect that could threaten the livelihood of her entire town.
Length: 1:38:00
Director: Sophie Jarvis
Producer: Sara Blake, Magali Gillon-Krizaj, Tyler Hagan, Olga Lamontanara, Michela Pini
Writer: Sophie Jarvis
About the writer, director and producer:
SOPHIE JARVIS is a Vancouver-born writer and director whose first job in film was reading fan mail for The L Word. Later, she studied at Simon Fraser University where she made her short film The Worst Day Ever, which premiered at TIFF in 2012. Since then, Sophie has gone on to direct many short films, including Medical Drama (Clermont Ferrand 2019) and Zeb's Spider (Palm Springs Shortsfest 2023), a stop motion animation co-directed with Alicia Eisen for the National Film Board. Her feature debut Until Branches Bend premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and went on to play SXSW and won the award for "Best BC Film" at VIFF, as well as the "Prix de Soleure" at the Solothurn Film Festival in 2023. Sophie's background as a production designer deeply informs her practice as a director. Sophie currently resides on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories (aka Vancouver).
UNTIL BRANCHES BEND is a Canadian-Swiss co-production between Ceroma Films, Reign Films, Experimental Forest Films, and Cinédokké.
Key cast: Grace Glowicki, Alexandra Roberts, Quelemia Sparrow, Lochlyn Munro, Antoine Desrochers
Facebook: Until Branches Bend
Instagram: @untilbranchesbend
Hashtags used: #UntilBranchesBend
Website: www.tvco.eu/catalogue/until-branches-bend-by-sophie-jarvis/
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
July 1; Streaming on Crave in Canada