This is not a ceremony (see trailer above) brilliantly tackles dark episodes in the lives of Canada’s aboriginal peoples, while Texada poetically parallels ancient geological upheavals with a modern-day mining community.
The two films will be presented consecutively, with two screenings per broadcast day in November, and a few additional dates in December, as part of the RIDM festival.

Screenings :
20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 26 - 27 november (6:30PM and 8:00PM)
3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 14 - 17 - 18 - 20 - 21 december (6:30PM)

This is not a ceremony
AHNAHKTSIPIITAA (Colin Van Loon) | 2022 | 21min | 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.

Texada
Josephine Anderson and Claire Sanford | 2023 | 17 min | English with French subtitles
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.

In a hybrid between activist documentary and science-fiction fable, an android from a future where humanity no longer exists takes an unconventional look at the present.