VITAL SIGNS

After the sudden death of her grandmother, Simone decides to sign up as a volunteer helping terminal patients in a wintry Montreal. Her boyfriend sees her almost obsessive dedication as not just loving altruism, but that she also hides behind the intensive relationships with the dying.

The documentary background of the Canadian artist/cinematographer Sophie Deraspe shows through in this Rotterdam feature, starring a non-professional but focused on a strange kind of professional intimacy. Brilliantly acted, unassuming, and sensitive without a trace of sentimentality.