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Seven Veils is a Canadian drama film, written and directed by Atom Egoyan. It follows a regional theater director, played by Amanda Seyfried, who sets out to remount the most famous work of her former mentor, the opera Salome. In the process, repressed memories from his past, well up to influence her present.
Seven Veils was shot in the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2023. It has since went across festival circuits before being theatrically released in the United States by XYZ Films on March 7, 2025.
The 107-minute film is presented by Elevation Pictures and XYZ Films. It is produced by Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, in association with IPR.VC, Cinetic Media, Crave, and the Canadian Opera Company.
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Seven Veils was filmed at the Canadian Opera Company locations
According to TIFF, Atom Egoyan directed an opera Salome for Canadian Opera Company (CAC) for the first time in 1996. He revived the play in 2023 for his film, Seven Veils. Based in Toronto, the organization is the largest producer of opera in Canada.
Per their website, the Canadian Opera Company has three attractions. As featured in the film, the most prominent among CAC locations is the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, a 2000-seater arena where all mainstage shows are held. The Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is located within the Four Seasons Centre, while the theater is where the administrative and rehearsal space situated.
Speaking of his experience at the Four Seasons, Egoyan told Canadian Opera Company on on March 7, 2025:
“I love (Four Seasons)... Those are spaces I have spent a lot of time in. Joyful time. So to be able to bring that into this other world of filmmaking was just a dream come true. With this particular set, we got to keep the structure… and you get to see that in the film. Things like the props room, it's just such a cool space, and to be able to kind of show that is amazing.”
The leading star Amanda Seyfried also shared her thoughts in the same interview:
“It's kind of magical there. It’s just huge and beautiful. To be in that hallowed space is just- there's no other way we could have done it. And thank God they let us use it because that was a big, huge get.”
Plot summary for Seven Veils
Seven Veils follows Jeanine, a director who returns to the stage to reinterpret her late mentor's renowned adaptation of Richard Strauss's Salome for the Canadian Opera Company. As she immerses herself in the production, Jeanine is confronted by haunting memories and traumas from her past.
Jeanine’s adolescence has been shaped by two men, the first being her father who was obsessed with her in an unhealthy manner. The other person is Charles, the stage director for whom she served both as protégée and mistress. In her adulthood, Jeanine is forced to come to terms with her repressed trauma as she attempts to helm a play with which she can draw parallels of her life.
Exploring the cast of Seven Veils
Academy Award-nominated actress Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) leads the cast of Seven Veils as the protagonist Jeanine. This is her second collaboration with director Atom Egoyan, following the 2009 erotic thriller, Chloe. The other cast members are listed as follows:
- Rebecca Liddiard as Clea: Liddiard (Frankie Drake Mysteries) plays Clea, a character integral to Jeanine's journey throughout the film.
- Douglas Smith as Luke: Smith (Treading Water) portrays Luke, an old friend of Jeanine who becomes involved in the opera production, contributing to her personal and professional challenges.
- Mark O'Brien as Paul: O'Brien (The Righteous) plays Paul, Jeanine's estranged husband..
- Vinessa Antoine as Rachel: Antoine (Plan B) portrays Rachel, a colleague in the opera company who interacts closely with Jeanine.
- Michael Kupfer-Radecky as Johann/John the Baptist: Opera singer Kupfer-Radecky takes on the dual role of Johann and John the Baptist, central figures in the opera within the film.
- Ambur Braid as Ambur/Salome: Braid, also a real-life opera singer, plays Ambur, who portrays Salome in the opera.
Seven Veils is presently running exclusively in theaters across the United States.
