Synopsis

When the Day Breaksis the charming, bittersweet story of Ruby, the pig, whose life takes an unexpected turn after she witnesses the accidental death of a stranger. With deft humour and finely rendered detail, the film illuminates the links which connect our urban lives, while evoking the promise and fragility of a new day. The film, described as a four-year labour of love by the filmmakers, is exquisitely crafted; using pencil and paint on photocopies which gives it a textured look reminiscent of a lithograph or a flickering newsreel. In When the Day Breaks, the ordinary - a lemon, a toaster, and a chance collision on a street corner - is endowed with a visceral power. 

Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

Both originally from Alberta, Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby first met in Vancouver at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, where they studied film and animation. In 1999 they co-directed When the Day Breaks, which received over thirty international awards, including the Palme d’Or in Cannes, Grand Prix at Annecy, Zagreb and Hiroshima, and an Academy Award®nomination. They have continued to collaborate on workshops, commercials and commissioned projects. In 2003, they relocated from Montreal to Calgary, where they made Wild Life.