Crystal Swan
Stranger Says: This comedy, set in 1996 Belarus, follows a young DJ who has big dreams of moving to Chicago to pursue her house-music career. But a typo on her US visa application forces her to move to a rural village and befriend a local family in order to live out her American dream. Crystal Swan gives off heavy Xavier Dolan vibes—angsty, dreamy, and retro. It also marks Belarus’s first Oscar submission in 22 years. (JASMYNE KEIMIG)
SIFF Says: In this eye-popping, vitriolic comedy set in Belarus circa 1996, a young female DJ befriends a rural family in a scheme to obtain her U.S. visa so she can move to Chicago and pursue her house-music career.