‘Universal Language’: Warm Hearts Balance Out Cold Temperatures in Surrealist Canadian Fable

Sandra Miska

The Middle East meets the West in “Universal Language,” an absurdist Canadian comedy-drama set in an alternate universe in which Winnipeg is a Persian-speaking town — All the signs, even at the Tim Horton’s, are in Persian. In this world, filmmaker Matthew Rankin, a scholar of Canadian history, introduces us to an eclectic cast of characters, including a few determined birds, who have their respective but intersecting missions to complete.

The tone in “Universal Language” is dry, but the climate here is cold, icy and snowy. Early on, two young sisters, Nazgol (Saba Vahedyousefi) and Negin (Rojina Esmaeili) spot cash in a frozen puddle. Their quest to retrieve this treasure is amusing to watch unfold, and there are two smart and imaginative kids with strong senses of wonder. They first decide that they need an axe to chop the ice, and incorrectly assume that finding the tool would be an easy task. It is heartening to see that most of the adults they encounter are kind and do not talk down to them, although it is strange that they do not really question why two children would want an axe or, later, a vat of hot water.

Meanwhile, government worker Matthew (Rankin playing the only non-Middle Eastern major character), quits his job in Quebec and decides to take a pilgrimage home via bus, where his fellow passengers include an unaccompanied turkey, to visit his elderly mother. To get an idea of how long he has been away, he discovers that his mom no longer lives at their hold house, but the young family who currently inhabit it let him in and treat him like a beloved relative, another example of the film highlighting the best in human nature. Matthew calls his mother’s number only to hear from a man named Massoud (co-writer Pirouz Nemati). Massoud refuses to clarify his relationship to Matthew’s mom over the phone, which seems rather ominous, but does tell him to meet him at a Tim Horton’s later that evening. In a whimsical touch, the popular Canadian coffee chain is reinvented here as a Persian-style teahouse.

As for Massoud, he works as a tour guide showing people around some less-than-exciting landmarks, i.e. an abandoned suitcase on a bench, a monument to 19th-century political leader Louis Riel, a dead mall, and an apartment building where “many nice unknown people have lived.” It all feels very Wes Anderson-esque, not just the characters, but also the film’s exaggerated aesthetic, except for instead of being colorful and twee, the buildings here are beige and minimal, at least on the outside, and the freezing weather makes Winnipeg seem even more dreary from the outside. However, the warm and inviting interiors balance things out.

While many Iranian films, at least the ones that make it over to North America, deal with heavy subject matters and bleakness, Rankin, Nemati and third writer Ila Firouzabadi celebrate that culture in a more lighthearted manner, focusing on its emphasis on community and unselfish concern for others. By placing the characters in Canada, a country considered to be one of the best for quality of life, the filmmakers allow them to flourish and let their personalities shine, resulting in a delightful and thoughtful cinematic experience.

“Universal Language” releases Feb. 14 in select theaters.