No one could ever seriously accuse Atom Egoyan of repeating himself. In Exotica he explored the banalities and strange passions of a topless bar, while in his last, Oscar-nominated film, The Sweet Hereafter, he focused on the aftermath of a school bus crash. But in all his films, Egoyan's characters struggle to carry on while faced with the most extreme circumstances.

So it is in Egoyan's ninth and newest piece, Felicia's Journey, based on the novel by William Trevor.

Armed with little more than the name of the city where her lover Johnny lives, 17-year-old Felicia leaves Ireland and heads to Birmingham, where she hopes to find him and tell him she's pregnant. As she beings her search, we meet Hilditch, a solitary bachelor and tireless befriender of homeless girls.

At work, Hilditch, a catering supervisor, makes the rounds of his massive industrial kitchen, sampling sauces, chatting with suppliers, and encouraging the canteen staff to further improve the quality of the steamed pudding. At the end of the day, pulling out of the carpark, he sees Felicia. She is looking for the lawnmower factory, where she's heard that Johnny works. Hilditch informs her that this is not a lawnmower factory but he suggests she try the industrial compound down the street. Lingering in his car, he watches Felicia with interest.

Through his unique use of interwoven and intersecting timelines, Egoyan simultaneously gives insights into how Felicia came to start her journey. Her thoughts return again and again to her small town in Ireland, and to Johnny, the handsome lad who told her that she was beautiful, that he loved her. As he leaves, he promises that he will write, sending his address as soon as he settles in England.

After wandering around the streets of the unfamiliar city - at first in search of her lover but then simply shelter - Felicia is befriended by the genial Hilditch, who generously takes her in. He takes her to a pub that he explains is frequented by local Irish workers.

As he consoles the girl, Hilditch suddenly spots Johnny in the pub. Quietly distracting the despondent girl, he keeps Johnny's presence from her. And so Hilditch insinuates himself into Felicia's life, even convincing her to terminate her pregnancy. There begins a strange, perversely contradictory relationship that may have the seeds of dire consequences or redemption.

Cairo-born, Canadian-raised and of Armenian descent, Atom Egoyan is one of the most celebrated contemporary film-makers on the international scene. Through his feature films and numerous related projects, he has created a distinct and highly-praised body of work. Reflecting his own unique aesthetics and exploring his own very personal thematic obsessions, Egoyan's films have consistently and brilliantly explored vital issues of intimacy, displacement, marginalisation, and the impact of technology on modern life.

Egoyan's work in other media has always enriched his film work. Last year, he dusted off an unsuccessful theatre piece he had written 16 years earlier and, with composer Rodney Sharman, reworked it into an opera. The result, Elsewhereless, tells the gripping story of a diplomat's servant betrayed while trying to better himself and help his people. Immediately after, he went on to London to direct the world premiere of the new opera, Doctor Ox's Experiment, before heading off to Ireland for Felicia's Journey.

Making a break from Egoyan's usual North American backdrops, Felicia's Journey was shot largely on location in Birmingham and other areas in the unsung Midlands area of Britain. But the film consolidates Egoyan's long-term collaboration with Alliance Atlantis Pictures, a working partnership that seems likely to carry over into Egoyan's future work.

"It's rare to have such a long-standing relationship with someone like John Hegeman [executive vice president, theatrical marketing of Artisan], who has been a strong supporter of mine since we worked together on The Adjuster," says Egoyan. "I've been looking forward to the day when I can work with John again, as well as the whole team at Artisan." Douglas Brodoff