https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GVh5WOiwBc&t=4sDrama
Alexandre Franchi, Canada 2019, 97 m
St. Petersburg Premiere
Starring: Robin L'Houmeau, Debbie Lynch-White
Estranged from his manipulative cancer-stricken mother, a handsome teenage boy deforms his face with bandages and joins a therapy workshop for disfigured patients in a misguided attempt to reconnect with her.
"I really liked HAPPY FACE a great deal. And by the time Stan offered his mother some french fries and vinegar I was gone, reaching for a tissue to mop up the tears. While I probably can't call it one of the absolute best films at Slamdance, I will call it one of the great joys and one the great finds not only of the festival but also of 2019. Ultimately this is a wonderful little film that is marvelously full of life." (unseen films.com; http://www.unseenfilms.net/2019/01/happy-face-2019-slamdance-2019.html)