Canadian 鈥淒une鈥� writer-director Denis Villeneuve says for all his talk about his love of the big screen, he does enjoy watching films at home.

The Montreal filmmaker has made headlines lately for trumpeting the importance of the cinematic experience and saying he hopes audiences will watch his sci-fi epic 鈥淒une鈥� in theatres.

He鈥檚 also criticized Warner Bros.鈥� decision to put 鈥淒une鈥� on the HBO Max streaming service in the United States the same day it hits theatres Oct. 22, noting he shot it specifically for the IMAX format so it could be seen on the biggest screens possible. In Canada, audiences will only be able to watch 鈥淒une鈥� in theatres when it lands across the country Oct. 22.

But at a press conference for the Toronto International Film Festival鈥檚 upcoming TIFF Tribute Awards, which will honour Villeneuve and others, he said that doesn鈥檛 mean he shuns streaming services.

鈥淚 also deeply love streaming. That鈥檚 the truth. I use it. It saved my life during the pandemic,鈥� Villeneuve said during Saturday鈥檚 event at Roy Thomson Hall, noting he recommends the Criterion and Mubi streamers, which cater to cinephiles.

鈥淭o have the chance to dive into cinema, story and revisit great classics, it鈥檚 absolutely beautiful. Streaming is very powerful for memory and to revisit movies.鈥�

Villeneuve鈥檚 comments were part of a broader conversation among the TIFF Tribute Awards honourees about films they鈥檝e discovered or rediscovered during pandemic isolation.

Jessica Chastain, who鈥檚 starring in 鈥淭he Forgiven鈥� and 鈥淭he Eyes of Tammy Faye鈥� at the fest, said she鈥檚 watched the 1987 romantic comedy 鈥淢oonstruck鈥� 鈥渓ike four times鈥� during the pandemic.

鈥淭hat movie is so good and Cher is amazing in this film,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great film and it always just makes you smile. So it was on my repeat.鈥�

Benedict Cumberbatch, star of the TIFF films 鈥淭he Power of the Dog鈥� and 鈥淭he Electrical Life of Louis Wain,鈥� said he rediscovered the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock thriller 鈥淩ear Window.鈥�

鈥淚 watched a lot of Hitchcock, actually. And I absolutely loved 鈥楯ojo Rabbit,鈥欌�� he said of Taika Waititi鈥檚 2019 dramedy, about a young boy in Hitler鈥檚 army who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥極K, that鈥檚 a really interesting view on a world gone terrifyingly wrong but there鈥檚 this sea of hope to see good鈥�. It was a satire on a horrible time but it made you feel hopeful as well.鈥�

Singer Dionne Warwick, the subject of the TIFF documentary 鈥淒ionne Warwick: Don鈥檛 Make Me Over,鈥� said she鈥檚 binged two series during the pandemic: Netflix鈥檚 鈥淟ucifer鈥� and the BBC鈥檚 鈥淪herlock鈥� starring Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes.

鈥淗e kept me up very, very late at night. Very late,鈥� she said to laughter from the audience. 鈥淚 started watching 鈥楽herlock Holmes鈥� around six in the evening, and six the next morning I was getting ready to go to bed.鈥欌��

Quipped Cumberbatch: 鈥淭hat makes me so happy.鈥�

The Toronto International Film Festival runs through Sept. 18. The TIFF Tribute Awards air that evening on CTV in Canada and stream to a global audience by Variety.

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

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