THIS IS NOT A CEREMONY
AHNAHKTSIPIITAA (Colin Van Loon)
2022 | 20 min 56 s
Cinematic dome Experience
English, Blackfoot with French subtitles
Niitsitapi writer and director Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) takes us beyond the veil of traditional media and transports us directly into another realm, where past, present and future are one; where colonial rules and assumptions are forgotten; and where we can finally get to the truth of the matter.
Presented in stunning cinematic dome, the narrative unfolds all around us, on a dream-like plane of existence. Panoramas flow and merge, stories come to life and dance before our eyes, and community protocols confront our notions of personal responsibility. Here, we are asked to witness some of the darker sides of living life in Canada while Indigenous.
This unforgettable experience will stay with you long after it’s over. THIS IS NOT A CEREMONY calls on all who’ve watched to take action, to share what they have seen and heard, to learn from these tragedies and never forget—so that they will never happen again.
Winner – Best Immersive Experience / Non-Fiction – Canadian Screen Awards (2024)
Official selection
Sundance Film Festival (2022)
Tribeca Film Festival
Calgary International Film Festival
Festival du nouveau cinéma
imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Kelly Holmes, Native Max Magazine
Josephine Anderson and Claire Sanford
2023 | 17 min
Seated dome, combined with stereoscopic 360-degree video
English, French
How big is time? On the remote Canadian island of Texada, the everyday existence of human life—work, play and dreams—is juxtaposed with the tectonic shifts of the planet rising and falling in cyclical patterns of creation, extinction and renewal. In this impressionistic dome project, co-directors Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson merge 360-degree live-action footage, captured across the island mining community, with 3D animation of geologic upheaval to create an immersive, poetic experience.
Real and imagined landscapes document a journey through the Earth’s formation to the current moment: twinned streams of existence mixing and mingling in an ever-changing flow. As geologic forces continue to unfold, the only constant is transformation. Yet amongst the great heave of history, glimpses of temporal beauty, like finding beautiful stones on a beach, help us understand our place in the universe.
Doc Lab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2023