Thanks to the efforts of director Michael McGowan and an outstanding cast, Miriam Toews’ award-winning novel makes the transition to the screen with all its power and poignancy intact. The opening night selection at this year’s KCFF brings viewers deep into the lives of a family of women, all of whom have their ways of contending with their clan’s tragic history of depression and suicide. And while Yoli (Alison Pill) may sometimes seem to be the one least equipped to deal with the challenges, she may be stronger in the face of her sorrows and doubts than her more polished concert-pianist sister Elf (Sarah Gadon). The sisters’ dynamic is just one of many richly layered aspects in this thoughtful adaptation by McGowan, a director whose past favourites at KCFF include not one but two People’s Choice Award winners with ONE WEEK (KCFF09) and STILL MINE (KCFF13).