A still from You Can Live Forever, a film that follows an emerging love between two teenage girls living in a Jehovah's Witness community.
Robert Vroom, BA 02
Despite the experience Vroom has already accumulated, he admits that making movies in Canada remains a challenge. “Some Canadian producers try to emulate Hollywood, which usually fails because we just don’t have the resources nor the budgets.
“As producers in Canada you have to find your niche and make your mark. You sort of have to pick a lane.”
Like with Blood Quantum, Vroom and Prospector Films continue to champion marginalized voices in You Can Live Forever, a coming-of-age story about a queer teenage girl’s sexual awakening in a Jehovah’s Witness community in Saguenay, Quebec.
The film was co-written and co-directed by Montrealers Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky, produced by Vroom, and has a number of Concordia alumni connections:
- Executive producer: John Christou, BA 01, MBA 17
- Re-recording mixer: Gavin Fernandes, BSc 88
- Location manager: Isabelle Champeau, BA 93
- Cast members: Deragh Campbell, BA 13, Antoine Yared, BFA 11, Liane Balaban, BA 03, and Juliette Gariépy, BFA 22
“Everyone always hears about the Mel Hoppenhiem School of Cinema and its graduates, but there is a lot of strong talent that comes out of communications as well,” says Vroom, who also received an MFA from the American Film Institute. “It is an impressive thing that Concordia produces a lot of great filmmakers.”
While You Can Live Forever will be released in the United States in 2023, Vroom is proud of how the film is already making its mark in countries where LGBTQ+ communities are dealing with societal intolerance.
“A fan base has been built up internationally beyond our wildest dreams,” Vroom says. “TikTok fan edits have gotten over 26 million views. It is very encouraging to see how much You Can Live Forever is resonating with people.”
