Heat Insights

FRI, OCT 2 | 3:30 PM VIFF Centre

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About

North American Premiere

The latest from director Jacqueline Zünd, Heat reveals the unequal realities of a rapidly warming planet. Set in the Middle East, where extreme weather conditions already threaten human habitation, this visually striking documentary follows people from different backgrounds adapting to relentless heat. Sophy, a young Kenyan woman, works at an ice bar kept at -6°C and serves hot chocolate to rich customers who enjoy the sub-zero escapism. Carina, a real estate agent from Sharjah, loads up her car with huge blocks of ice and drives to the shore to protect wild cats from heat stroke. Francis, a delivery driver from Uganda, endures 12-hour shifts in intense heat despite the threat to his well-being.

Beyond its environmental concerns, Heat offers a poignant commentary on the lives of migrant labourers as Zünd broadens her documentary to reveal how the climate crisis intersects with labour rights, migration, and social inequality. Rather than relying on facts and figures, Zünd’s up-close, sensory filmmaking provides a necessary temperature check on the victims of global climate change.

Content Considerations: Rasicm

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