I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing is an imaginatively absurd, magical realist story about a waifish daydreamer with artistic aspirations. In Patricia Rozema’s fanciful character study, aspiring photographer Polly (comedian Sheila McCarthy, channeling Buster Keaton) lands a job at a Toronto art gallery run by Gabrielle (Paule Baillargeon), who is also a painter. Polly is impressed with Gabrielle’s paintings, but as Polly gets to know Gabrielle’s lover Mary (Ann-Marie MacDonald) and becomes entangled in their lives, she realizes Gabrielle isn’t exactly who she appears to be, and her world tilts off its axis. One of the first queer films that wasn’t only about queerness, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing takes the viewer to the enchanted places inside Polly’s mind while quietly assaulting the notion of authority everywhere. Winner of the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. To commemorate Canada 150, this film was digitally restored by Library and Archives Canada, Cinematheque Quebecoise, The Cinematheque, and TIFF. 4K Restoration made possible by The Government of Canada, Canada 150,
RBC, Ontario 150 and Telefilm.
Special Features:
•New Audio Commentary by director Patricia Rozema
• Rozema’s short films Passion: A Letter in 16mm (1985); Desperanto, part of the 1991 anthology film Montréal Vu Par...; The Shape I Think (1995) – written and performed by Rozema, part of the 1996 anthology film Symposium: Ladder of Love directed by Nik Sheehan
• Introduction by director Patricia Rozema (courtesy of Metrograph)
• Q&A with Patricia Rozema moderated by Laurie Anderson (courtesy of Metrograph)
• Video essay by Daniel Kremer
•Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles
• Trailer
