In the late 1990s, a Hungarian family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island. The internal dynamics of the household are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child, Sasha. Already self-conscious that their immigrant status makes them stand out in a small suburban community, their wish to conform is further complicated by Jeremy, the mother’s teenage son from a previous relationship. Aloof and taciturn, his behaviour slides from erratic to antisocial, even criminal. While her mother is trying to protect them from social embarrassment, Sasha sees no shame in her brother’s strangeness.
“Part of my impetus to make films is to try to gain control over something that is uncontrollable—memories, grief, death. I use filmmaking to create another reality, or as a tool for acceptance of what I can’t control. For me, Blue Heron is an attempt to acknowledge, but then eventually accept, an inability to go back in time, literally, or change something.” (Sophy Romvari)
Sophy Romvari
Born in 1990 in Victoria, Canada. A Canadian-Hungarian filmmaker, screenwriter and actress based in Toronto. She gained international renown with the short documentary, Still Processing, which premiered at TIFF in 2020. Blue Heron is her feature film debut.