48th Toronto International Film Festival

Jurors about the winning film: “A married couple in crisis seems willing to give what is usually the last resource to save its bond: couple therapy, while they’re having a vacation at the Pacific coast together with their two daughters. Their contact with other couples is an inevitable temptation and a fire test. Meanwhile, the daughters confront the world, their fears, puberty – and the ghosts of unresolved conflicts of their parents.

This intimate, endearing and wonderfully framed first feature film by young Canadian actress and director Meredith Hama-Brown skillfully deals with subjects like masculinity, family taboos, motherhood and structural anti-Asian racism. Hama-Brown carefully stages her convincing actors, especially the young ones, and even gives life to a tender relationship between a little girl and a violet ball”.