Clement Virgo approaches discussions about his film in an unexpected manner — particularly for a director known for his work on the iconic series The Wire, the lauded adaptation of The Book of Negroes, and Brother, which garnered multiple awards at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2023.
When prompted about his feelings regarding the reception of Steal Away — which premieres in theaters on Friday — the Canadian filmmaker’s voice betrays a lack of assurance.
“Definitely, man. I felt anxious. I’m not sure if I’ve achieved what I set out to do — I’m just hoping it resonates,” he expressed.
“As an artist, all you can do is pursue your own passions and experiment. This film truly … gave me butterflies as I tried to unravel it.”
Clement Virgo graces the red carpet for Steal Away at the Toronto International Film Festival last September. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press)
Considering that he describes this film as his most ambitious undertaking to date, his apprehension is understandable. Collaborating with his wife, author Tamara Faith Berger, he adapted Karolyn Smardz Frost’s fictional narrative about a 15-year-old girl’s flight to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
While Steal Away Home is set in the 19th century, Steal Away transports the story into the future, reinterpreting America’s history as a futuristic fairytale.
The film, which intentionally avoids direct portrayals of enslaved individuals to eschew repetitive, oppressive images of Black futures, focuses on two central characters: Cécile (Mallori Johnson) and Fanny (Angourie Rice).
We follow Cécile, an African traveler, as she discovers Fanny’s household and family — white northerners in a Belgium that resembles a blend of futuristic and Antebellum South aesthetics.
The family’s grand manor appears to promise opportunity and freedom for Cécile — until Fanny’s fixation on her, alongside the potentially supernatural mysteries lurking within the house, escalates tensions.
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The film encompasses a variety of themes, ranging from coming-of-age narratives to psychosexual thrillers, horror elements, and influences of Afrofuturism — all intentionally selected themes that vie for attention in a vivid, albeit perplexing fable.
Afrofuturism is particularly prominent in Steal Away. It features elaborate costumes inspired by a hyper-modern Congolese culture and hints at a formidable yet vaguely defined Black-led global power, lurking just out of sight.
These elements blur the temporal setting Virgo depicts and the power dynamics within his imagined world, which feels strikingly contemporary and potentially more equitable, yet paradoxically does not.
Virgo notes that this is intentional.
“I aimed to link the experiences of the Antebellum South during slavery … to events of the Second World War, occurrences in the 20th century, and the impacts of colonialism,” he shared.
“There’s always an impression that history is in the past and will never recur. Yet, as we observe today … history does not repeat itself, but it resonates, as Mark Twain put it.”
Optimistic tomorrows
Steal Away also signifies a transformation in Virgo’s personal perspective.
In his own words, his journey to Canada as an immigrant in the late 1970s was characterized by a sense of “welcoming possibilities.” His films, often exploring Black experiences, have typically been shaped by a belief in gradual cultural advancement.
This particular project, however, emerged from a different place.
“There’s a feeling of ‘are we genuinely progressing?'” he reflects, alluding to the backlash against the notion that immigration is beneficial to society.
“If you examine history — particularly the last few centuries — there’s a perception of advancement, followed by a reaction against that progress, and then a resurgence towards further advancement.”
Rice, left, and Johnson portray Fanny and Cécile. (Elevation Pictures)
At the heart of Steal Away, beneath layers of metaphor and symbolism, Virgo posits the guiding question: Is progress ever truly enduring?
The measure of his success is left to the audience’s interpretation — the film’s dense and intricate themes can result in a narrative that is at times hard to access. Virgo acknowledges that viewer appetite for films requiring engagement has reached a notably low point.
Regardless, his response to that inquiry is rooted in optimism.
“I’m here, you’re here, because someone persevered and survived,” he stated. “And part of our responsibility is to ensure that notion is carried into the future.”
