Matt and Mara

Mara (Deragh Campbell) is a creative writing professor in Toronto, trapped in a stable but monotonous marriage with Samir (Mounir Al Shami) and an academic routine that has ceased to inspire her. The unexpected arrival of Matt (Matt Johnson), an old college friend turned successful novelist, rekindles long-repressed passions and doubts within her. What begins as a casual reunion—classes, coffees, strolls through the city—soon evolves into an intimate bond filled with emotional tension and unfulfilled desire.

Director and screenwriter Kazik Radwanski presents a dramedy with a sober and realistic tone. The turning point comes during a trip to Niagara Falls and the proximity of a literary conference in Ithaca. The film does not offer clear resolutions: Mara returns to her life, reconnects with her husband and daughter, but retains within her the presence of Matt, kept as a delicate and revealing memory.

With 80 minutes filled with nuances, Matt and Mara explores how ties from the past can shake the foundations of the present. Through intimate dialogues, everyday scenes transformed into significant moments, and a visual style that emphasizes emotional closeness, Radwanski reflects on friendship, art, and the blurred territory between what is desired and what is chosen. A film that impacts with its naturalness, honesty, and the painful beauty of unfulfilled possibilities.