Thu, Mar 28 / 7 pm & 9 pm
Fri, Mar 29 / 7 pm
Sat, Mar 30 / 3 pm & 9 pm
Sun, Mar 31 / 5 pm & 7 pm
Wed, April 3 / 7 pm
Thu, April 4 / 9 pm
Fri, April 5 / 7 pm
Sat April 6 / 9 pm
Directed by Danishka Esterhazy
2018, Canada, 102 min
Former Winnipeg director Danishka Esterhazy (Black Field, H&G), has created her best feature yet – a mysterious, riveting story set in an all girls boarding school. At the Vestalis Academy, sixteen-year-old Vivien and her fellow students follow a regimented program under the watchful eye of stern headmistress Miss Brixil. Fearing an outside world they have never seen, the teens work hard to be perfect young women, both in their cleanliness and domestic aptitude, in the hopes of being adopted.
But the school is not all as it seems. Reluctant at first to heed the warnings of former friend Sophia, Vivien begins to realize that sinister motives are at play. Level 16 is a compelling thriller that serves as a powerful metaphor for the unnatural standards society places on women. Anchored by strong performances by its predominantly female cast, including an inspired cameo by Sheila McCarthy, Esterhazy not only captures the various cages that patriarchal systems place women in, but also how women are often pitted against each other in the process. Crackling with tension, Level 16 is a chilling and empowering film. – Courtney Small
