Canada, 2026, 25 min., English with Bulgarian subtitles, dir. David Rendall
A harrowing and poignant portrait of 96 year-old Sally Rendall as she recounts her fortuitous survival through the Holocaust in Romania and her modest new beginnings as a Montréal immigrant. Elegantly captured through the eyes of her grandson, Today Is A Gift blends traditional documentary with imaginative hand-drawn charcoal animations.
Screenwriter: David Rendall
DOP: David Rendall, Leslie Schachter, Stacey Sproule
Music: Charles Tilden
Production: Heliograph Pictures, David Rendall
Director’s Biography:
David Rendall is a Toronto-born artist and filmmaker living in Picton, Prince Edward County. His work includes the narrative short “Triage” (2024) and the hybrid documentary “Today Is A Gift” (2026). “Triage” has screened in over 30 festivals internationally including Ottawa Canadian Film Festival where it won audience favourite and Hudson Animation and Short Film Festival (HASFF) where it won Best Live Action short and Best film.