Sitting in Limbo

Director John N. Smith
Year 1986
Run Time 95min
Genre Drama
In Montreal's West Indian community, Pat (Dillon) shares an apartment with two unmarried mothers on welfare and is naturally jaded on the subject of men. But she soon finds herself involved with the hopeless Fabian (Gibbs). A high-school dropout, Fabian doesn’t stand much of a chance in the job market. His work at a local warehouse lasts just long enough to launch them both on the road to economic disaster.

Boasting an infectious reggae score by Jimmy Cliff, the film was developed as part of the National Film Board’s Alternative Drama program, which placed non-professional actors in realistic situations. Issues including racism, poverty and teenage pregnancy are highlighted in what is also a very warm and pleasing film.

Sitting in Limbo achieved Honourable Mention for “its freshness and vitality” at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Director

John N. Smith

Smith’s credits include award-winning TV docudramas such as The Boys of St. Vincent, Dieppe and Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, as well as numerous feature films, including Dangerous Minds, A Cool Dry Place, Geraldine’s Fortune and Love & Savagery among others. Sitting in Limbo won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at TIFF 1986.

Writers

David Wilson, John N. Smith

Cast

Pat Dillon, Fabian Gibbs, Sylvie Clarke

Producers

John N. Smith, David Wilson

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Classics, Discrimination, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Astral Films