I don’t particularly like movies, but I do love films that make me cry.

“Red Herring,” a film by and about director Kit Vincent made its world premiere at this year’s True/False Film Fest. The film follows Vincent coming to terms with his terminal brain tumor diagnosis and its effect on those closest to him. Whether it be by gardening or finding meaning in religion, we watch as his family members channel their emotions into other tasks and philosophies.

We watch three important figures in his life – his mother, Julie, his father, Lawrence, and his girlfriend Isobel Parrish – as they all deal with grief differently, both withdrawing and attaching to certain parts of Vincent.

You just want to cling to the vulnerability present in this film – whether that be in the form of a hug or a clenched fist.

There was something very intimate about crying with the director’s dad as he stood at the front of the room to take in the recognition his son’s work deserves. Meeting Kit, his father and Isobel had a similarly deep impact.

I walked out of The Globe Saturday night with tears clinging to my cheeks, trying to commit every frame of the film to memory. It isn’t very often that I get to experience beauty of that caliber.

The abundance of natural sounds present in the film were seemingly at odds, switching from calming bird noises and waves crashing to MRI scans and phone calls with doctors throughout the film. This alternation keeps you on your toes throughout the film — constantly demanding your attention and keeping you entranced.

The film, full of detail shots and interviews with the people closest to him, invites you to feel like a personal friend instead of an intruder to such an intimate scenario. We watch Kit continue to live despite his brain tumor.

In one of several voiceovers, Kit discusses how he doesn’t want to make a sad film. I would say that he made an incredible film; a film that is vulnerable and emotional and a beautiful legacy to leave behind as everyone around him grieves a future he won’t have.

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Mary Philip