The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF) 2025 is proud to host the US premiere of Nothing Wrong, a powerful narrative feature from Canadian filmmakers Samuel Plante and Josh Ary. Inspired by true events and grounded in emotional authenticity, the film unpacks a story of trauma, trust, and the ties that either hold us together or pull us apart.
Nothing Wrong follows Andrea and her younger sister Claire after a sudden revelation fractures their understanding of their past and challenges the closeness they once shared. What begins as a scavenger hunt slowly reveals itself to be something more layered—a reckoning with deeply buried truths, the complexity of forgiveness, and the tenuous journey toward healing.
The story’s origin comes from real life. Director and writer Samuel Plante learned of the events through a personal connection and began a series of honest conversations with someone who had lived through a similar experience. With their permission, Plante and Ary reimagined the events into a screenplay that keeps the emotional core of the story intact, while allowing space for fictional elements to guide the dramatic arc.
“We wanted to focus on what comes after trauma,” Ary explains. “There are plenty of stories that center the crime or the criminal, but far fewer that stay with the survivors. How do they continue? What happens when justice doesn’t arrive? Those were the questions we wanted to explore.”
The film’s tagline, “I’ll do it if you come with me,” acts as both a promise and a plea. It encapsulates the central themes of courage, connection, and the quiet strength found in siblinghood. It is this emotional throughline that resonates most powerfully in the film, thanks in no small part to the performances of its lead actors. Emma Elle Paterson stars as Andrea, delivering a performance that blends fierce vulnerability with hard-earned resilience. “Emma has this extraordinary ability to hold contradictions in her performance,” Plante says. “She shows you the anger, the confusion, and the hope all at once. She gave the character depth that’s difficult to write on the page.”
Opposite her is Rosalie Pépin, who portrays Claire, the younger sister drawn into a reality she didn’t ask for but must now face. Though only 15 years old during production, Pépin brought striking maturity to the role. Her portrayal is understated yet emotionally potent, capturing the inner turmoil of a teenager forced to navigate betrayal, confusion, and love in the same breath.
Veteran Quebecois actor Pierre-Luc Brillant rounds out the central cast as Michael, a complex character portrayed with care and nuance. Brillant’s presence lends credibility and gravity to the film. A former collaborator of acclaimed director Jean-Marc Vallée, Brillant understood the emotional landscape of the story and embraced the ambiguity within his role.
Filmed primarily in Ontario in September 2020, Nothing Wrong faced its share of pandemic-era production challenges. Strict health regulations at the time required significant adjustments, including staggered shoot schedules and limits on proximity between cast members.
“We had a full day dedicated to figuring out how to make scenes work with six-foot distancing,” Ary recalls. “It all came to a head when we needed to film an intimate scene between Andrea and Michael. We were waiting on a COVID test result, and we got the green light less than an hour before the cameras rolled. The entire production held its breath.”
The car Andrea drives throughout the film also became a memorable element of the production—not for what it added on screen, but for what it put the team through off-camera. The car belonged to Plante, and on the first day of shooting, it broke down. Despite its poor condition, it remained in use throughout the shoot, with the crew working around its quirks. When it finally died during a scheduled pick-up shoot a year later, the team scrambled to find a replacement. In the end, the new vehicle didn’t match, and the original car’s final glory shots never made the cut.
For both Plante and Ary, the emotional significance of Nothing Wrong extended beyond the script. Several cast and crew members had personal ties to the themes explored in the film. Their connection to the material added a layer of urgency and care to the production, reinforcing the idea that filmmaking is about more than just the final product—it is also about the collaborative experience of telling a story that matters.
The screening at JDIFF marks the film’s first foray into the American festival circuit and are hopeful that audiences at JDIFF will connect with the story on a deep emotional level. “It’s a film about what happens when life breaks you, and whether you can put the pieces back together,” Ary says. “It doesn’t always happen in a straight line. But even when things feel hopeless, there’s always the possibility of moving forward—especially if you’re not alone.”
As Nothing Wrong makes its international debut at JDIFF 2025, it offers a moving and intimate look at resilience, trust, and the journey toward healing. It stands as a reminder that even in the wake of brokenness, there can still be connection. And in that connection, a path toward something new.
For updates, behind-the-scenes content, and upcoming screenings, follow the film on Instagram at @riendemalfilm.
