The Halifax Independent Filmmakers Fest kicks off with this screening of Ian Lagarde’s debut feature, set on a sunny, all-inclusive island resort. "Ludovic Berthillot stars as Mike, a guest at El Palacio who arrives alone and plans on an indefinite stay. He plods around in paradise, sates his senses with buffet food and gaudy entertainment, but something isn’t quite right in this unsettling utopia," HIFF says, calling it "Somewhere between cosmic comedy and Dharmic dream...an absurd and thought-provoking rumination on spirituality and consumption that is both recognizable and repellent in equal measure." A Q&A with the director follows the screening.