Invisibles

Local title
Nähtamatud
Original title
Invisibles
Director
Junna Chif
Country
Year
2025
Festival
29th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
Genre

An escort questions her life until a disabled client makes her confront who she is and who she might become.

Elizabeth, a burlesque performer and sex worker in Montreal, is passionate about her jobs. But after years of keeping her life as an escort a secret, Elizabeth wonders if she can continue living like this. As she prepares to move on, she accepts one last client, a man with a disability. Their unexpected encounter overturns her certainties and leads her on an intimate and transformative journey.

Director and writer Junna Chif states about her highly impressive work: “With “Invisibles,” I chose to approach the film by attempting to avoid victimisation through the perspective of a woman who decides to engage in sex work. But other realities exist and are just as valid. I do not pretend to hold the truth; I try to bring a nuance, a perspective that is rarely represented.” She continues, “Whether it is sex workers or people with disabilities, all exist for who they are, independent of their condition or their profession. My characters do not need to be saved; they need to be seen.”

I highly recommend this outstanding debut with an amazing cast – especially the lead actress, Nadia Essadiqi. The film is a brilliant combination of drama and comedy and need to be seen on the big screen where it belongs.

Nikolaj Nikitin

Director
Junna Chif
Screenwriter
Junna Chif
Cast
Nadia Essadiqi, Catherine Bérubé, Stéphane Crête, Floyd Lapierre-Poupart, Victor Trelles Turgeon
Producer
Pierre Villepelet, Leslie Dabit
Cinematographer
Louka Boutin
Production Design
Alexandre Lechasseur-Dubé, Félix Grégoire
Editing
Aube Foglia, Junna Chif
Composer
Pierre-Philippe Côté
Sound
Sylvain Bellemare
Production
Les Films du Récif
Distribution
Fun Films
Runtime
Language
Subtitles
Director
Junna Chif

Junna Chif is a Canadian filmmaker. She studied film production at Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal. She gained wider recognition with her 2015 short film "Ms. Liliane" (also "Mme Liliane"), an 11-minute drama about a primary school teacher and her pupils. It won the Special Jury Prize in the Best of Shorts competition at the 2015 Calgary International Film Festival and Best Student Short Film (Live Action) at TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Festival in 2016. Chif often works in multiple roles on her projects (writing, directing, producing, editing).
Filmography:
Invisibles (2025)

Screenings

Screening070621 / Nähtamatud
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsJunna Chif (Director, Screenwriter, Editing), Pierre Villepelet (Producer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer