How far will humanity go to save itself and the planet? Are we willing to make the sacrifices called for to ensure the next generation doesn’t suffer like ours? In Ann Marie Fleming’s Can I Get a Witness?, the audience is asked to bear witness to the extreme choices humanity must make to survive.
Can I Get a Witness?
Ann Marie Fleming (director and writer), C. Kim Miles (cinematography), Justin Li (editor)
Keira Jang, Joel Oulette, Sandra Oh (cast)
September 6, 2024 (TIFF)
Can I Get a Witness? is set in the near future, and follows a small cast of characters going about their day. But what are they doing? Why are they so emotionally wrought? What is this world they’re navigating? These are all questions you’ll find yourself asking as the film opens.
I read the synopsis of Can I Get a Witness? but had clean forgotten what it was about by the time I watched it. But honestly, this film is best watched with as little knowledge as possible to appreciate how writer-director Ann Marie Fleming structures the film. She intentionally metes out the reality this story is set in. The audience is ‘witnessing’ alongside our main characters Kiah (Keira Jang) and Daniel (Joel Oulette). The other main character in the film, Sandra Oh, plays Kiah’s mother, Ellie.
Can I Get a Witness? is a clever film—it doesn’t show us a perfect world, it shows us a world that’s different. We’re left to wonder if it’s really better, or if some things have been fixed so that’s enough to call it a day on bettering humanity. The characters themselves ask one another if things are better. It’s obvious from moments and anecdotes shared in the film that humanity still has a ways to go to create a world that truly benefits all. It’s unnerving to watch as you learn more.
This is a gentle and quiet film (with the exception of one moment) with a sparse and pared back narrative that allows us to slowly learn, through the events of the film, what the world in this story is like and the role the characters play in it. It is intriguing and devastating. We are along for this distressing ride with these characters. Experiencing the mystery unfold captivated me but what made it easy to become engrossed in the film were the performances, which were simple but realistic.
Oh is a genius, as always. She can stand still and convey so much, which is what she does here. While Oh doesn’t have a ton to do in Can I Get a Witness?, but from just the way she carried herself, you just know something is up. Kiera Jang plays the seemingly uninteresting Kiah effortlessly as a simpleton and audience stand-in. Not an easy job in the slightest, but she captures the naivete well. Joel Oulette plays the character of Daniel like any ole prefect/youth counselor/mentor. He’s charming, funny, intense, and at times, infuriating. Without his realistic and casual performance, this film absolutely wouldn’t work. The whole point of the film is that we are witnessing shocking things which have become part of everyday life. Someone’s got to act like this is all normal, otherwise we won’t believe this story. Oulette is the man for the job.
One anomaly in the film is the little animations. My seat partner at the screening, a recent film school grad, was familiar with Fleming’s work and helpfully mentioned to me that those animations are a signature of the director’s. While I appreciate adding one’s stamp to one’s work, I didn’t think the animations necessarily belonged in this film—I felt there was only one scene where they added some meaning to Can I Get a Witness?. The rest of the time, I found them a distraction.
One major criticism I have is with the ending. The end of Can I Get a Witness? is essentially a pointed dig at the state of today’s world and posits that there are extreme measures humanity must take to solve the problems we ourselves have created. The idea is solid—and scary—and within the context of the film it works in sync with the theme of sacrificing for the greater good. But, if one were to take a step back and consider what the story is telling us, it feels like the creators are letting the systems off the hook while placing the burden of change on the people. In the film, there’s a system in place to make the world better, but it needs sacrifices made by the individual. But that’s not a new phenomenon; that’s our reality now—maybe not to the extremes of the film, but we’re struggling everyday right now, so is Can I Get a Witness? telling us anything different?
This is a startling film that says a lot about the state of humanity and the planet. It takes our analogies of how to make a better world to a scary extreme, and that’s why everyone should watch this film. Do we want to end up in the world of the film? You can answer that when you’ve witnessed it yourself.
