I Don't Know Who You Are
I Don't Know Who You Are is a 2023 Canadian drama film, written and directed by M. H. Murray.[1]
| I Don't Know Who You Are | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | M. H. Murray |
| Written by | M. H. Murray Mark Clennon Victoria Long |
| Produced by | M. H. Murray Mark Clennon Martine Brouillet Victoria Long |
| Starring | Mark Clennon |
| Cinematography | Dmitry Lopatin |
| Edited by | M. H. Murray |
| Music by | Spencer Creaghan |
Production company | Black Elephant Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Murray's full-length directorial debut, the film stars Mark Clennon as Benjamin, a gay working class musician who is urgently trying to find $900 to pay for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to protect himself from HIV after he is sexually assaulted by a stranger.[1]
The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[2]
Plot
Benjamin, a gay working class musician, spends his weekend trying to scrape together $900 to pay for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to protect himself from HIV after he is sexually assaulted by a stranger.[1]
Cast
The cast is led by Mark Clennon and also includes Anthony Diaz, Nat Manuel, Deragh Campbell, Victoria Long, Kevin Courtney, Michael Hogan, Grace McDonald, Radclife Goldbourne, Randy Davis, Cheryl Wagner, Chris Wong, Lawrene Denkers, Peyton McLean, Ilgi Bodan, Nileigh Bodan, David Draper, Felicia Morrison, Erik Berg, and Denzel Grant.
Many of the health care workers depicted in the film are played by real medical professionals involved in HIV treatment and advocacy.[3]
Production
Benjamin is a reprisal of the same character Clennon previously played in Murray's 2020 short film Ghost.[4] The screenplay is based in part on Murray's own experience having to navigate the health care system to attain PEP treatment after being sexually assaulted.[3]
The film was co-produced by Murray and Clennon, as well as Martine Brouillet and Victoria Long,[5] while Clennon and Long also served as story editors for the screenplay.[6]
In an essay for CBC Arts, Murray described the process of making the film on a limited budget, particularly in having to shoot many of its scenes guerrilla-style without permits.[6]
Distribution
The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[2]
Critical response
Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail described the film as "a seriously impressive micro-budget debut".[7]
Adam Nayman, writing for the Toronto Star, called the film “deeply affecting” and wrote that "Murray’s movie transforms its furtive production circumstances into a fully realized style. Instead of showing the city off, it cultivates a dizzy dislocation — the paranoid sensation of being surrounded at all times without necessarily feeling connected, or of anxious walks home under flickering street-lights."[8]
Vadim Rizov of Filmmaker Magazine felt that some scenes were “overly attenuated” but concluded that the film is "a solid feature debut" with “a strong sense of a particular micro-milieu."[9]
Angelo Muredda of Cinema Scope described the film as "an empathetic character study that effectively balances its punchy genre elements with its human drama."[10]
Matthew Creith of In Magazine praised the film, writing that "I Don’t Know Who You Are is an urgent tale full of interconnected relationships and rough realities, giving way to hope in the face of adversity. The movie shines brilliantly as it projects impatience, artistry, worthwhile surprises, and the motivations behind propelling one man forward after a tragedy complicates his existence. The calm moments when Benjamin is alone with his thoughts genuinely provide insight into what Clennon can do as an actor, and it’s masterfully executed."[11]
Accolades
The film was selected to compete for the $10,000 RBC Emerging Artist Award at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival.[12]
References
- Mullen, Pat (2023-08-03). "TIFF Announces Midnight Madness and Discovery Line-ups". That Shelf. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Complex, Valerie (2023-08-03). "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include 'Hell Of A Summer,' 'Gonzo Girl,' 'Widow Clicquot,' And 'Boy Kills World'". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ""It can be a struggle to get health care": Filmmaker M. H. Murray on bringing the realities of HIV treatment to TIFF". Toronto Life. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Hall, Erica (2021-05-12). "Filmmaker M.H. Murray Tackles Modern-Dating Anxieties in 'Ghost'". occhimagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Townsend, Kelly (August 3, 2023). "TIFF adds several Canadian world premieres in Discovery lineup". Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- M. H. Murray, "We snuck in without permission to shoot our film's climax — and then everything went black". CBC Arts, September 8, 2023.
- "TIFF 2023: Muted opening weekend puts focus on films instead of celebrities, with mixed results". The Globe and Mail. 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Nayman, Adam; Krasovitiski, Michelle. "As TIFF 2023 kicks off, meet five filmmakers fearlessly reshaping the future of Canadian cinema". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Rizov, Vadim (2023-09-09). "TIFF 2023: Evil Does Not Exist, I Don't Know Who You Are | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Muredda, Angelo (2023-09-05). "TIFF 2023 | I Don't Know Who You Are (M.H. Murray, Canada) — Discovery". Cinema Scope. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Matthew Creith, "Review: ‘I Don’t Know Who You Are’ Sheds An Uncomfortable Light On Sexual Assault In The Queer Era". In Magazine, September 8, 2023.
- "Calgary International Film Festival adds new competition to 2023". LiveWire Calgary. 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2023-09-14.