The First Winter

A baby will be born from a summer night and something must be done. The protagonist is up for the task and catches a plane from Portugal to Canada, so he can be near the mother of his child. The scenario he finds on his arrival is almost laughable: a monotone and indecisive pregnant woman, an apathetic boyfriend, a hostile city. The most heartbreaking of all winters is in Winnipeg, says Ryan McKenna, who wanted to film Portugal precisely by opposing it to the icy solitude of Canada. Kaurismaki would see here some of his humor without the least of compassion. (M. M.)