Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant)

Wednesday 22 July at 7.30pm

Ariane Louis-Seize | Canada | 2023 | 90 mins | M offensive language, horror & suicide references

A sensitive vampire meets a depressed teenage boy in this deadpan French-Canadian romantic comedy.

“Amélie for goth girls, Ariane Louis-Seize’s debut feature is an endearing tale of life, death, love and blood. The film follows sensitive teenage vampire Sasha (Sara Montpetit) as she struggles with the moral weight of killing humans for their blood. When her parents enact tough love and cut off her blood supply, she is forced to hunt, but quickly finds her fangs don’t necessarily cooperate – she just can’t bring herself to commit murder. She is sent to live with her ruthless cousin Denise (Noemie O’Farrell) who is more than eager to show her the ropes – and meat-hooks. Only when Sasha meets Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), a depressed teenage boy planning his suicide, does she find a moral loophole – killing someone who wants to die. The two make a pact – she can kill him for his blood on the condition that she spends the night helping him complete a few final tasks before he dies. Quirky and charming, Humanist Vampire playfully attends to the rules and regulations of vampire mythology. Sure, Sasha sucks on blood baggies and avoids the sun, but when she’s dancing in her room to Brenda Lee on vinyl or restlessly wandering the streets at night, you could mistake her for any surly teen just looking to fit in.” — Amanda Jane Robinson, Whānau Mārama NZIFF 2025