Parachute
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 7:00 pm
USA 2023 Brittany Snow
Vancouver Premiere
“A gentle, earnest indie about love, self-loathing, and other dependencies … Deeply felt and certainly proves that [Snow] has a promisingly deft directorial hand.”
Jessica Kiang, Variety
The night after leaving a treatment recovery centre for an eating disorder and suicide attempt, Riley (Courtney Eaton, Yellowjackets) finds herself bored at a karaoke bar. There she meets Ethan (Thomas Mann), a charming friend of a friend. The two twentysomethings hit it off, entwining themselves in a years-long “situationship” that teeters between friendship and romance. Ethan is smitten by Riley and does everything he can to subvert the distorted image she holds of herself. Riley, whose self-loathing tendencies can be difficult to watch, supports Ethan as he struggles to connect with his alcoholic father. Underneath witty banter and Gen‑Z pop culture references, this directorial debut from actor Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect, Hairspray) offers a refreshing romantic drama that explores the messy reality of codependent relationships.
Special Jury Award for Performance (Courtney Eaton)
Thunderbird Rising Special Award (Brittany Snow)
SXSW 2023
Post-screening discussion with Maude Henri-Bhargava, RD, and Lauren Jennings, MOT.
Maude Henri-Bhargava is a registered dietitian working at St. Paul’s Hospital’s Provincial Adult Tertiary & Specialized Adult Eating Disorders program. For more than a decade, she has helped individuals create or reignite a healthy relationship with food and their bodies through an inclusive, trauma-informed, and anti-diet lens.
Lauren Jennings is an occupational therapist who has been working in the Provincial Adult Tertiary & Specialized Adult Eating Disorders program at St. Paul’s Hospital for over a decade. In the midst of obtaining a master’s in counselling psychology at Adler University, she is passionate about working in the field of eating disorders and challenging biases and stigma around mental health.
Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, series director
“Smart and compassionate … There have been movies before about women with eating disorders. But this may be one of the first for the Gen Z and younger generations that nails just how tentacular the psychology of such conditions can be.”
Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter