Level 16


Level 16 is a 2018 sci-fi thriller by filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. It follows a group of girls who live at a "school" which educates them about how to be perfect young women for families that they are told will eventually adopt them. Two girls work together to uncover the truth about their captivity.

Premise

An isolated and windowless boarding school teaches young girls to be 'clean' and proper. They are schooled in health and etiquette. However, two residents, Sophia and Vivien, become suspicious about the school's intentions after witnessing the late night behavior of security guards and the headmistress. They learn that they are not in a school for girls, instead, they are raised so rich "sponsors" can get the faces of these young girls transplanted onto their own heads, to make them appear more youthful. After learning of this by encountering the faceless body of another girl, they make plans to escape, despite being told that the air outside the school is toxic.

Cast

Filming took place in a retired police station in Toronto that was built in the 1930s. Esterhazy was given complete freedom to use and adjust the building in any way she saw fit, and used this to create a "very real and gritty" set.
The film is slated to have its television premiere on August 24, 2019 on CBC Television.