June 18, 2019 – 7:30 PM
Film Screening Thunder & Lightning Ltd, 23 Bridge St. Free
Taking inspiration from Afro-futurism, Indigenous futurism, speculative fiction and non-fiction, The Next 150: Documentary Futurism is a programme of groundbreaking short films from diverse artists and communities across what is now called Canada. The projects—which were selected by an esteemed jury comprised of speculative fiction author Nalo Hopkinson, groundbreaking media artist Skawennati, and innovative curator/filmmaker Danis Goulet—inaugurate a new genre that blends documentary cinema with the speculative arts.
The Documentary Futurism programme offers a wide range of formal approaches and topics, from mesmerizing site-specific performances to imaginative aesthetic interfaces, from queer sexuality to decolonization. Forward-looking and deeply political, each film brings an innovative and distinctive approach to documenting that which has yet to occur.
Struts Gallery & Faucet Media Arts Centre and Thunder & Lightning are pleased to partner with Cinema Politica to present a selection of six of these films, including:
a’s’katikl awti’l Bretten Hannam / Canada / 2018 / 7′ / L’nui’simk A pair of Mi’kmaw helpers travel the land, removing toxic remnants of the past.
BREATH ANEW Andrew Chiu / Canada / 2018 / 12′ / English 150 years in the future, a Canadian refugee reflects on her escape and the new path she finds herself forced onto.
ENHIOR:HÉN:NE [TOMORROW] Roxann Whitebean / Canada / 2018 / 5′ / Mohawk and English Enhior’hén:ne explores Mohawks children’s predictions about the state of mother earth 200 years into the future.
NOVA Andréanne Germain/ Canada / 2018 / 6′ / English A teenager unwillingly deletes her best friend in this bittersweet coming of age story set in a world where augmented reality has gamified existence.
RECLAMATION Thirza Jean Cuthand / Canada / 2018 / 13′ / English After white people have left Earth for Mars, Indigenous people talk about their work reclaiming the lands and restoring the health of the planet and their communities.
THE UNIVERSE ACCORDING TO DAN BUCKLEY Roberto Santaguida / Canada / 2018 / 10′ / English In the beginning, there was nothing — you can get nothing easily.
To learn more please visit: http://documentaryfuturism.ca/
The Next 150: Documentary Futurism was made possible through support from The Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program.
Cinema Politica is a Montreal-based alternative exhibition and distribution media arts non-profit focusing on independent documentary. Our network of community and campus based locals screen political film and video by Canadian and international artists throughout Canada and abroad. We believe in the power of art to not only titillate, but to engage, inform, inspire, and activate change toward social and environmental justice. Cinema Politica is the largest volunteer-run, community and campus-based documentary-screening network in the world. All screenings are by donation. www.cinemapolitica.org