The Idiot(s) to make Canadian premiere at TIFF 2026
Newlyweds Fyodor and Anna’s European honeymoon leads them to Baden, which turns into an unexpected and explosive years-long stay as they struggle and overcome obstacles in pursuit of Fyodor writing his to-be masterpiece, The Idiot.
Gold Rush Pictures’ The Idiot(s), directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, will make its Canadian premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film stars BAFTA Award-winning and Primetime Emmy-nominated Aimee Lou Wood as Anna Dostoevskaya and Johnny Flynn as Fyodor “Fyedya” Dostoevsky, alongside Vicky Krieps, Christian Friedel, Barbara Marten, Rainer Bock and an international ensemble cast.
Based on Andrew D. Kaufman’s The Gambler Wife, The Idiot(s) reimagines the story behind one of literature’s defining works through the perspective of Anna Dostoevskaya - the stenographer, manager and wife whose determination helped secure both her husband’s career and literary legacy.
Set during the couple’s turbulent years in Baden, Germany, the film follows their marriage amid financial hardship, precarious circumstances and Fyedya’s gambling addiction. As he pursues literary inspiration at the roulette table and through obsessive love affairs, Anna assumes increasing responsibility for their survival, becoming an editor, businesswoman and custodian of her husband’s work.
Their struggle ultimately leads to the creation of the manuscript that would become Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.
Shot across Poland, The Idiot(s) continues Szumowska and Englert’s exploration of intimacy, relationships and moral ambiguity through an observational visual approach.
The film’s Canadian premiere at TIFF follows its recent international festival attention and the announcement has been noted by leading film trades including Screen Daily (click here), Deadline (click here), The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, The Wrap and Gold Derby.
