Review: Bytowne (short film)
Synopsis
The story of two strangers who come together for an afternoon and connect despite not speaking the same language..
Bytowne, directed by Zachary Chabot, follows a French-speaking young man who meets an upbeat English-speaking young lady at an art gallery, and they hit it off despite their language barrier.
The short film earns high marks from me for being an organic and believable encounter of two random strangers, while also having it play out in a daydreamy haze that’s welcomely and wholesome. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen anything quite like it. The story bubbles with authenticity and warmth.
Bytowne delivers an astutely endearing story, aptly-awkward but wonderfully-tender characters, and overall, it’s a joyful journey with its fair share of angst and truths about the hardships of life.
I really enjoyed this one.
Director Zachary Chabot has created one of the best portrayals of a chance encounter between two polite Canadian strangers that I’ve ever seen on film.
Bytowne enjoys its world premiere at le Festival du film de l’Outaouais in Gatineau on April 11, 2025.
Le Droit : Une finale en «or» pour le Festival du film de l’Outaouais, par Jennifer Sabundu, Collaboration spéciale
More info & links:
- Director: Zachary Chabot
- Cast: Jean-SĂ©bastien Boyer, Chantal Despatie
- Writers: Juliana Ayoub, Zachary Chabot
- Producers: Juliana Ayoub, Zachary Chabot
- Bytowne on IMDB
Alvin Tsang
Film Reviewer
In his youth Alvin loved watching movies and would find himself spending his lunch money and allowance at the box office. He loved the Matrix and the X-Men films, and somewhere along the way, he discovered a love for horror movies — Hereditary, Midsommar and Mother! being his favourites. He now holds a professional writing diploma, a couple of journalism degrees, and likes to spend his free time reviewing movies on IMDB and for various magazines.
@alvinwct
@alvinwct
