All You Can Eat Buddha

Sunday, March 25, 2018

NYC Premiere!

At the Palacio, a rather forlorn all-inclusive resort somewhere in the Caribbean, there arrives an unusual guest, a gentle French-Canadian behemoth named Mike. After his arrival, unexpected and unusual events begin to take place in this quiet, shabby, sundrenched sanctuary. His voracious appetite, mysterious magnetism, and  otherworldly talents (one of which is as an ‘octopus whisperer’), combine to attract resort staff and tourists alike. Regarded as some kind of spiritual healer, Mike soon finds himself receiving the many and varied affections of those staying at the peculiar resort. His strange, saintly status will eventually complicate not only the operations of the resort itself, but also the intimate personal lives of its staff and guests. Absurdist in some places, magic realist in others, and reminiscent of the deadpan drollery of Aki Kaurismaki and Ulrich Seidl, Ian Lagarde’s arresting debut feature gives new meaning to north-south relations. Enigmatic, eccentric, unforgettable.

Ian Lagarde is a Montreal-based filmmaker. He studied film production at Concordia University in that city, and his early works include the TV documentary The American Savannah (2009), the short films Solar Wind (2011), Board (2012), and Daybreak (2013). He was also the cinematographer for Denis Côté’s Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (2013). All You Can Eat Buddha is Ian Lagarde’s first feature.

Playing as part of Canada Now: 2018. Program notes by Tom McSorley, Executive Director, Canadian Film Institute.

  • Country Canada, Cuba
  • Language French with English subtitles
  • Year 2017
  • Running Time 84 minutes
  • Director Ian Lagarde
  • Writer Ian Lagarde
  • Editor Mathieu Grondin
  • Cinematographer John Londono
  • Cast Sylvio Arriola, Ludovic Berthillot, Alexander Guerrero

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.