Simple Passion

An erotic drama that plumbs the psyche of someone infatuated with an unavailable partner, director Danielle Arbid’s Simple Passion was slated to make its world premiere at Cannes in 2020 before the global pandemic scuttled plans for that festival. Instead, the movie bowed at the Toronto International Film Festival later in the year, before enjoying a slate of complementary festival presentations in San Sebastian, Moscow, Busan, and elsewhere, followed by its theatrical release this year.

As the 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was notable, if nothing else, for the simple fact, that the event actually happened. In this year of the pandemic, where Cannes had to postpone, and Venice maneuvered through the storm, Toronto, seemingly effortlessly, followed.

As the 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was notable, if nothing else, for the simple fact, that the event actually happened. In this year of the pandemic, where Cannes had to postpone, and Venice maneuvered through the storm, Toronto, seemingly effortlessly, followed.