Toronto International Film Festival, Vanguard Section – Liz’s Review: ‘They Have Escaped’

Toronto International Film Festival, Vanguard SectionTheyHaveEscapedPoster

Sometimes we run from things; the past, the present, and the lies we tell ourselves. In Writer/Director J-P Valkeapää brings us They Have Escaped, a unique coming of age narrative about two kids on the run. Joni is a young man who goes AWOL on his military service, landing him a mandatory civil service stint at a live-in residency for wayward teens. Raisa is an unruly wild child who has been brandished too difficult to deal with by an uptight mother and ill father. Both are damaged souls. One, an introvert, the other, the very definition of extrovert. Together is run away from their lives and take off in a stolen car on the road to freedom. Along the way, they are met with emotional and physical challenges that were seemingly dismissed when they decided to venture onto the open road. Together they tackle each new day with courage, relentless spirit, and tenacity. Read More →