Matthew Rankin’s ‘Universal Language’ premieres in Winnipeg

Canada’s nominee for this year’s international feature film Oscar is having its hometown debut. CTV’s Taylor Brock talks with the Winnipeg-born director.

A highly acclaimed film, set partly in Winnipeg, premiered to a sold-out crowd on Thursday night in the city.

Winnipeggers welcomed home director Matthew Rankin as his new film, ‘Universal Language,’ made its hometown debut.

The surrealist comedy, which was Canada’s entry for best international feature film at this year’s Academy Awards, sees Rankin play himself in an alternate universe where Winnipeg, Quebec and Tehran converge. The film was not nominated when Oscar nominations were announced this week.

Rankin, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, said Winnipeggers are the target audience for the film.

He said the Winnipeg jokes have been a hit across the world, adding that it’s been nice to see how audiences connected to the movie.

“It’s a vast and very exciting catalogue of very ironic and pathological and beautiful and eccentric Winnipeg pop culture,” he said.

“It runs the gamut. Winnipeggers will understand it better than anybody else.”

Rankin and fellow Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin will be at the University of Winnipeg’s Asper Centre for Theatre and Film on Saturday as they discuss how the city has impacted their cinematic visions.

‘Universal Language’ hits Canadian theatres on Friday.

• With files from CTV’s Taylor Brock and The Canadian Press.