Neverman

Lucia (Justin Vivian Bond) has spent her life fighting for gay and trans rights, often to the detriment of her own personal relationships. As she gets older, all she wants is to find a facility that can help her with her worsening Alzheimer’s and that shares her fundamental values. But when she enters the nursing home — one that claimed to be trans-friendly — she quickly notices that the treatment she’s receiving, particularly from one very involved nurse, is a far cry from the supportive safety that was promised. 

The cold, austere, and threatening institution is a sharp contrast to Lucia’s colourful, gorgeous dresses and the vibrant life that she’s lived — experiences we see in flashback and that she’s increasingly struggling to hold on to. With the help of some newly formed friendships she makes in the home, she must navigate this difficult environment as best she can, even as her memory begins, sadly, to let her down. 

This second feature film from award-winning Cuban-Canadian filmmaker Rodrigo Barriuso (A Translator) features strong supporting turns by Eva Everett Irving — who plays the younger Lucia in flashbacks with vivacious energy — as well as Marie-Josée Croze (The Barbarian Invasions, TIFF ’03), Elias Koteas (Crash, TIFF ’94), Jess Salgueiro (TIFF 2018 Rising Star), and Zaiba Baig (Sort Of). But it is Bond’s captivating performance — it’s no wonder that they have long been a muse for Jonathan Anderson, the creative director at Christian Dior — that is the heart of the film and its enduring presence. 

KELLY BOUTSALIS