There, There is the sophomore feature from Halifax filmmaker Heather Young, whose 2019 debut Murmur earned awards and accolades across Canada and beyond, and introduced viewers to a new way of seeing Nova Scotia on film.
In her latest, an elderly woman named Ruth (Marlene Jewell) has her routines disrupted by worsening dementia, while Shannon (Katie Mattattal), her pregnant caretaker, works to track down her baby’s father.
There, There marks a huge step forward in Young’s spare, exacting framing and cut-to-the-bone storytelling; the characters inhabit a small world of heavy, pervasive quiet, one in which each bingo dauber, doily and bedspread has something to say about the particulars of Maritime suffering.
Midway through the film, a doctor asks Ruth where she lives; when the name eludes her, she falls back on a pleasantry instead: “It’s the city I live in. It’s a great city, it’s wonderful.” There, There offers no easy answers on whether these are things we believe or just say to fill the silence.
Description by Evan Bower
Presented with post-show Q&A with director Heather Young
Runtime: 1h 45m
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Genre: Drama
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May contain less subtle sexually suggestive scenes and nudity and a more realistic portrayal of violence than in the General category; coarse language may occur more often than in the General category. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children though there is no age restriction. Parental discretion is advised.[2]
Director: Heather Young
Writer: Heather Young
Cinematographer: Catherine Lutes
Cast: Marlene Jewell, Katie Mattattal
About the Filmmaker
Heather Young is a filmmaker based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the director of the short films Howard and Jean (2014), Fish (2016) and Milk (2017).
Her first feature Murmur (2019) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize for the Discovery Programme, and later received the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival.
Her second feature There, There (2024) premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival and received a Special Jury Mention at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montréal.
Wed Jan 28, 2026 — 7pm