The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

Released Nov 29, 2019

1h 45m

Drama

List

97%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

61%

Audience Score

Fewer than 50 Ratings

After a chance encounter on the street, a woman encourages a pregnant domestic abuse victim to seek help.

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Critics Consensus

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open uses an encounter between two strangers as the catalyst for a thoughtful drama as poetic as its title.

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Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open relies on lengthy single takes to build intimacy and trust between us as viewers and the female characters at its center.

Mar 25, 2020

Full Review

Sophie Monks Kaufman

Little White Lies

It's rare to find a film of such bottomless depths.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 9, 2020

Full Review

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Quietly illustrates the eternal conundrum of trying to be good without being a do-gooder, and trying to be independent while also recognizing the need for a helping hand.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 12, 2019

Full Review

Heidy Morales

Hye's Musings

Inspired by a very real and transformative moment... [the film] threads a delicately complex story of a chance encounter between two Indigenous women with drastically different lived experience, navigating the aftermath of domestic abuse.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 8, 2020

Full Review

Luke Gorham

In Review Online

It's Nelson's presence which is most crucial to this film's success: her non-professional acting allows for many moving transitions between expressions of bravado and woundedness.

Jul 29, 2020

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

An exquisitely felt human drama.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 31, 2019

Full Review

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Audience Member

A heavy-handed slog of a movie.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Facebook U

Waste of 1:35 hours! What was the point of the movie? Was it supposed to show me something I havent seen before. I could walk outside, talk to any victim of homelessness, DV, a car accident, etc and get this same experience. It literally stops time for 1 hour and 30 minutes.Ill never get that time back. Not sure why so many people found this to be so great. It sucked!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/20/21

Full Review

georgan g

Feels like you are watching a documentary the acting is so good. There is so much to learn here.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

thomas l

A personal and insightful tale for the other half, that represents the most oppressed group in this country, this world and the history of our species, because no matter how badly any group has ever suffered, their women have always suffered more. Well casted. Well Acted. Well crafted.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, is just pure trauma porn. Worse, it is exploitative of women it claims to want us to have empathy for. Rosie stays in the camera's gaze, with no agency and no escape from the gaze. This is not done ironically. This is done for the self aggrandizement of the filmmakers. This is white feminist guilt masquerading behind an Indigenous face - and feeling good about itself, because after all, Rosie goes back to the abusive boyfriend because she wasn't quite ready for her liberation. Please look closer and not be guilt ridden yourself. If this film was made by only a white person - and not co-directed with an Indigenous woman - would the reviews be so generous? Women who have really lived in the margins and on the street find this film lacking in authenticity and as about as sincere as a plastic trinket.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

dave d

SHAKY CAM ALERT!! Ok, I've made it clear I can't stand shaky cam. Frankly, it's lazy filmmaking. It's a gimmick and it can work, but most of the time it just makes the viewer seasick. There's a worthwhile story here, but it's overwhelmed by decisions that didn't work for me. Filmed predominately in one long take, the picture has a realness. There's an everyday quality to the characters. After about 15 minutes I needed a break because I had a headache. I wanted to give this film the full attention it deserved. When I returned the next day I was impressed with the delicate performances of the two leads Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Violet Nelson. It was not only Nelson's first feature film, it was her first acting credit period. Tailfeathers also co-wrote and directed with Kathleen Hepburn. Interestingly, when the camera becomes more steady the film starts to congeal. The movie feels like it could be a documentary. It's a Canadian feature, but it's about a pair of indigenous woman who meet by chance. There just aren't enough films like this being made. Our natives have great stories and they should be hear just like anyone else. Often our indigenous are the forgotten minority. What's worse than shaky cam? Shakey cam in a car! Holy Crap! I want to like this, but watch it on the biggest screen you have or be prepared to be annoyed. Behind it all there is a compelling story that needs to be told, but there are many distractions. I would have loved this film to be a little less gimmicky. Your milage will vary depending on whether or not you like the gimmicks. Final Score: 6.3/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Elle-Maija Tailfeathers

Director

Kathleen Hepburn

Director

Violet Nelson

Rosie

Elle-Maija Tailfeathers

Áila

Barbara Eve Harris

Sophie

Sonny Surowiec

Taxisjåfør 1

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Synopsis

After a chance encounter on the street, a woman encourages a pregnant domestic abuse victim to seek help.

Director: Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn
Producer: Yvonne Huff Lee
Screenwriter: Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers
Distributor: Array Releasing
Production Co: Violator Films, Experimental Forest Films, Oslo Pictures, Film Farms
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 29, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2019
Runtime: 1h 45m