Filmed in Vancouver and Nanaimo, the film tells the story about a family trying to manage the erratic, and increasingly dangerous behaviour of their teenaged son
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After a decade of making short films, Sophy Romvari was ready to make her first feature-length movie, Blue Heron.
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Told through the eyes of an eight-year-old named Sasha (Eylul Guven), Blue Heron follows an immigrant family of six as they move into their new home in a new neighbourhood while trying to manage the erratic, anti-social and increasingly dangerous behaviour of the eldest teenage son, Jeremy (Edik Beddoes).
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Opening in Toronto on April 24, Montreal May 1 and Vancouver on May 8, the film, which has received seven 2026 Canadian Screen Awards nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Romvari and Best Supporting Actor for Vancouver’s Beddoes, is based loosely on Romvari’s own story.
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The youngest of four kids, Romvari was born in Canada after her parents and brothers had immigrated from Hungary. Romvari and her family lived on Gabriola Island until she was five years old, then they moved to Nanaimo. Romvari has lived in Toronto since 2016.
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“Because I had spent such a long time making short films, I felt really prepared,” said Romvari, whose earlier work, especially the short film Still Processing, leans into family dynamics and stories. “Making the shorts helped build my confidence over the years, and I think by the time I was preparing to shoot this film, I was pretty sure about my voice and about how I wanted to make this movie. Not just visually, but also how I wanted to work with the crew.”
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She wanted to make Blue Heron an intimate affair that was realized by a crew who were partners in the endeavour.
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“I hired people that were self-motivated people, people who really wanted to bring their own craft to the table and relieve myself of doing everything,” said Romvari. “I was very intentional with how we crewed the movie, and I think that made a big difference into the final impact of what the film is, because everyone really took their role seriously, but also really enjoyed the process of making the film.”
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Filmed in a North Vancouver house, with exteriors filmed in the Nanaimo area, the film is about family. For Romvari, creating a family atmosphere on set was key.
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“I wasn’t leaving anything to chance for all the different interpersonal things that can happen on a production,” said Romvari, who made sure her crew knew each other before the camera rolled. “Everyone understood each other’s communication styles and I think it made a big impact to the atmosphere of the set.
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“And also, working with children, I wanted to make sure that it was a really positive and enjoyable experience for everybody, because that’s the priority, to enjoy the process.”
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The house also doubled as the home to the production office and wardrobe, hair and makeup.
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“We were able to use it as like a little mini-factory. Everything was taking place within this one hub,” said Romvari. “We weren’t having all these location moves until we had to do the exteriors. And it really made a difference. You have this sense of home and a place that feels familiar. And I think that helps the atmosphere as well.”
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Feeling safe while shooting was important as the film, set in the late 1990s, deals with an eight-year-old kid and family trying to navigate mental-health issues.
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“I think it is so interconnected. Being prepared technically makes the emotional side much easier,” said Romvari. “Because I think all I had to do then was to focus on directing, because I was able to make sure that all the technical side was well thought out and well-prepared and collaborated on.”
