Universal Language

Dir. Matthew Rankin, 2024. 89 mins. Canada. DCP. In Farsi and French with English subtitles. Manitoban filmmaker Matthew Rankin has created a deadpan wonder with his charming and singular comedy Universal Language. Set against the wintry landscape of Winnipeg, Rankin’s endlessly amusing roundelay creates a world unto itself, where identities, time, and space are as malleable as the weather, and where Farsi is the predominant language. The film shuffles a handful of interconnected stories, anchored by the tale of schoolchildren trying to purchase a new pair of glasses for their classmate by unfreezing money they find in a block of ice. The director himself shows up in a role based on his own life as a taciturn man returning to the city from Montreal to reunite with his family. Inspired by Iranian films of the 1970s, Rankin tiptoes perfectly between the natural and the surreal, an unexpected marriage of Tati and Kiarostami. Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award winner at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Shortlisted for the 2025 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Tickets: $17.50 / $12 senior and students / $10 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.