14 book-to-screen adaptations to watch for at TIFF
TIFF 2022 is here! Check out the screen versions of these books at the festival, including adaptations of books by Canadian authors David Chariandy, Emma Donoghue and Miriam Toews.
TIFF runs from Sept. 8 to Sept. 18, 2022.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Based on: The 1929 novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
This adaptation of the classic Erich Maria Remarque novel is an anti-war story told against the backdrop of the First World War. Set in 1917 Germany, this truthful and authentic depiction highlights the horrors of war, the loss of innocence and how the First World War devastated a generation of young people.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Based on: The YA novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This adaptation of the bestselling novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is a story of two Mexican American teenage boys in 1987 El Paso. The pair navigate love, identity and belonging against the backdrop of family secrets and burdens.
Brother
Based on: The novel Brother by David Chariandy
Canadian director Clement Virgo adapts this story of two Jamaican Canadian brothers whose dreams are dashed by violent reality in 1990s Scarborough, Ont. Brother is about how a family and a community recover after a loss — and the types of old connections and new connections they are forging in order to overcome a catastrophic event.
Brother won the 2017 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the 2018 Toronto Book Award and the 2018 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. It was on the longlist for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was defended by actor and writer Lisa Ray on Canada Reads 2019.
Catherine, Called Birdy
Based on: The novel Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Directed by Lena Dunham, this adaptation revolves around a 13th-century teenager who rebels against her father when he tries to marry her off to a wealthy man.
The film stars Bella Ramsey and Andrew Scott.
Devotion
Based on: The nonfiction book Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship and Sacrifice by Adam Makos
Set during the Korean War, this film tells the story of the U.S. Navy's first Black aviator and his dedicated wingman, as they both confront racial prejudice and a country at war. Even after months of practice, the pair must trust in their expertise, courage and each other to do their duty and survive. Devotion stars Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell.
High School
Based on: The 2019 memoir High School by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin of the indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara
Directed by Clea DuVall, the film adaptation of High School is an exploration of adolescent self-discovery. Starring Railey and Seazynn Gilliland, this story of adolescent yearning weaves the perspectives of two young women, and those closest to them, into an exploration of what it means to find out who you are and who you want to become.
The Handmaid's Tale
Based on: Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale
TIFF presents the first two episodes of season five of the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The novel introduced the world to the Republic of Gilead, a treacherous, patriarchal state ruled by theocratic law, where fertile women (handmaids) are assigned to a ruling class of men (commanders) to produce children, without choice or control over their own bodies. It stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski.
The Handmaid's Tale received many accolades when it was first published, winning the 1985 Governor General's Award for fiction. It was also a finalist in the inaugural edition of Canada Reads in 2002, where it was defended by former prime minister Kim Campbell.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Based on: The nonfiction book How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm
In this thriller directed by Daniel Goldhaber, a crew of young environmental activists execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline. When the group sees sabotage as an effective and necessary form of climate activism, it sets the stage for violence and property destruction.
The Hummingbird
Based on: The novel The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi
This nonlinear epic starring Bérénice Bejo and Nanni Moretti depicts the strange, wondrous life of Marco Carrera from childhood through adulthood and onto his final years. The story documents a family journey through suffering, happiness, loss, love and hope.
My Policeman
Based on: The novel My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
Directed by Michael Grandage, My Policeman is a tale of forbidden romance as it follows three people — policeman Tom, teacher Marion and museum curator Patrick — as their connection to each other evolves over the course of decades. The film stars Harry Styles, Emma Corrin and David Dawson.
North of Normal
Based on: The memoir North of Normal by Cea Sunrise Person
Carly Stone directs this adaptation of Cea Sunrise Person's 2014 memoir, which details the author's counterculture youth in the wilds of 1970s Western Canada. Craving stability and safety, all Cea wants is to be normal. Left to raise herself, she seeks to distance herself from her dysfunctional upbringing and her hippie mother. Caught between her desire to lead a more conventional life, Cea struggles to relate to other people. The film stars Sarah Gadon, Janet Porter and Robert Carlyle.
On the Come Up
Based on: The YA novel On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Directed by actor-turned-director Sanaa Lathan, this adaptation follows the daughter of an underground hip hop icon who died too young. Bri has aspirations to become the greatest rap artist of all time. But at school, she's considered a "hoodlum" and when her mom loses her job, Bri releases a track that goes viral — but not in the way she might have hoped.
On the Come Up is writer Angie Thomas's second novel after the runaway success of The Hate U Give. It stars Jamila C. Gray and Method Man.
Women Talking
Based on: The Miriam Toews novel of the same name
This Sarah Polley adaptation of Canadian author Miriam Toews' acclaimed novel is set in a cloistered world where women struggle with an epidemic of abuse. Tackling themes of trauma, rage and grief, Women Talking examines a series of violent events against women that took place in a tight-knit Mennonite community between 2005 and 2009. It stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Ben Wishaw and Frances McDormand.
Women Talking was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and was a finalist for the 2019 Trillium Book Award.
The Wonder
Based on: The novel The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
Based on the novel by Irish Canadian author Emma Donoghue and directed by Sebastián Lelio, The Wonder stars Florence Pugh as a nurse in 19th-century Ireland hired to investigate the case of a child who has not eaten for four months. The Wonder is inspired by numerous European and North American cases of "fasting girls" between the 16th and 20th centuries. It stars Florence Pugh and Kíla Lord Cassidy.
The Wonder was shortlisted for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
