Canada’s Oscar Entry ‘Universal Language’ Lands U.S. Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)

Oscilloscope Laboratories has bought Matthew Rankin‘s “Universal Language,” Canada’s Oscar entry, and set a Feb. 12 release date in select theaters.

Represented in international markets by Best Friend Forever, “Universal Language” won the inaugural Audience Award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

The film, which marks Rankin’s follow-up to his award-winning surreal movie “The Twentieth Century,” is a comedy unfolding in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the two official languages. It follows the lives of multiple characters, including gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol who find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. “Universal Language” was written by Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi.

In his Cannes review, Variety’s Peter Debruge called it “a delightful cross-cultural hybrid designed to celebrate our differences.”

The movie previously won the Canadian Discovery nod at the Toronto International Film Festival, along with a raft of international laurels. It has also played at the New York Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival and BFI London.

“The premise of our movie is working from a position of no borders and absolute belonging. In a time of increasingly rigid binaries and fulminating reactions, we hope our movie stands witness to the fundamental capacity of people – between whom you might imagine great distance – to create a gentle world together and even have a few laughs before the sun goes down,” said Rankin.

“‘Universal Language’ was made by a group of very close and very crazy friends and our prismatic, interdimensional Venn diagram of Winnipeg within Tehran within Montréal is an expression of our friendship and our lives together,” said the director, who argued that “cinema must provide new ways of imagining the absurd and beautiful and very limited time we have to be alive here in this world.”

Oscilloscope President Daniel Berger said the company had handled Rankin‘s “The Twentieth Century,” and described him as “a rare and dynamic talent.” “‘Universal Language’ has received phenomenal love from audiences and critics alike. Partnering with a team this creatively driven is truly inspiring, and we believe this film has the power to brighten the world for everyone who sees it.”

“Universal Language” will be released by Oscilloscope Laboratories in select U.S. theaters on Feb. 12. The film was produced by Sylvain Corbeil’s Metafilms.