In the Canadian cities of Montreal and Winnipeg, a futile tension exists between French and English speakers — doubly silly, since the country is officially bilingual. In his gently satirical “Universal Language,” writer-director Matthew Rankin imagines a rather fanciful solution, where Farsi is now the region’s dominant tongue. Taking his cues from such Iranian classics as “Children of Heaven” and “The White Balloon,” Rankin mixes the humanism of Majid Majidi, Jafar Panahi, et al. with his own peculiar brand of comedy… offering a delightful cross-cultural hybrid designed to celebrate our differences.  – Variety

“Universal Language is a magnificent film, one that feels warm and familiar even as we realize just how startlingly original it is.” New York Magazine

“Wholly original and brought to life with an overwhelming sense of charm and sincerity, Universal Language is a film like no other” – AWFJ