Still Night, Still Light

"Life is short, we have to keep dreaming", a woman says at the start of this sensitive debut film. The three chapters of Still Night, Still Light are named for the searching main characters, each of whom could use such wisdom: Eliane, a young Canadian woman who gives piano lessons in Mexico; Romes, her gentle employer; and Pablo, Romes' father, who whiles away his days in a nursing home. They all seem to be waiting for something: a sign from a deceased loved one, a last good conversation. All three of them hope to find happiness elsewhere. Eliane has swapped cold Canada for dangerous Mexico, and Romes and Pablo are setting off together on a last trip to China. "We try to do our best in a world we don't control", Romes says of his attempts to do the right thing. He sees life as like driving a car in fog: even though you can't see what's ahead, you just have to have faith. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)