Next of Kin

Director: Atom Egoyan
Screenwriters: Atom Egoyan

Institute History

  • 1987 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Deeply unhappy with his family life, Peter undergoes psychiatric therapy with his parents. One day, while at the clinic studying videotapes of his sessions, he comes across the tapes of an Armenian family who feel guilty about having surrendered their infant son to a foster home. Peter decides to present himself to this family as their lost son, to finally act out a role different from the one assigned to him; in effect, to change his life.

Welcomed into the family like the long-lost son, introduced to the sister he never had, Peter is reborn amidst the love and community spirit extended to him. Displaced and confused about his identity playing out a very real game, Peter finds a more authentic home than the one had shared with his legal parents. Director Atom Egoyan displays a sure-handed touch in his first feature film, giving Nest of Kin an edgy sense of distance. Made on a miniscule budget that is nowhere evident in the film’s production values, Next of Kin raises eyebrows wherever it is shown.

— Piers Handling

Screening Details

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