Following Secrets & Lies (1996), which won both the Palme d'Or and Best Actress at Cannes, British director Mike Leigh reunites with actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste to paint a painful yet precise family portrait. Leigh confronts our society by depicting a perpetually angry protagonist and the many ways people respond to her. Hard Truths offers a political and clear-eyed diagnosis of the unresolved anger and extreme division pervading our society, seen through one character's particularity. The film serves as both a sharp rebuke and prescription from a wise voice in an era where peace seems elusive. Its portrayal of mental anguish—which can paralyze life as effectively as physical suffering—prompts both epiphany and embrace from the audience. What transforms the world is patience, love, and a heart that refuses to give up directed toward one person. (JIFF, Sung MOON)