For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition. For the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.
“Never forget me, remember me, this is your home.”
“The Rez” is so much more than the pain inflicted by settler-colonialism. Lewis speaks to her greater community, her love for their strength, and the fight they give to keep the community whole. Identity and community are vital; Lewis embraces both without compromise.
As museums begin to deal with their colonial history, filmmaker Suvi West takes the audience behind the scenes of the museum world, revealing a visual, philosophical, and spiritual realm. She seeks a connection with ancestors through old museum objects, eventually arriving at the collective pain points of the Sámi people.
All across the globe, Chinatowns are under threat of disappearing – and along with them, the rich history of communities who fought from the margins for a place to belong. Big Fight in Little Chinatown documents the collective fight to save Chinatowns across North America.
Gena, a Queer artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes made from junk and tape, and protests the government on the streets of Moscow. She stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism. The performances—often dark, strange, evocative, and Queer at their core — are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious. But they come at a price.
In Boil Alert, an Indigenous woman goes on a journey through First Nations reservations to shine a light on the devastating struggle for clean water and discovers herself in the process. This poignant exploration illuminates the human dimension of the water crisis in Indigenous communities, as well as the impact it is having upon Native identity.
Guest in attendance, Q&A with Layla Staats and Joshua Neuman
This film is featured during Opening Night.
Please note: opening night tickets are sold separately, and are not included in the purchase of a Festival Pass.
What does it mean to be Inuk? Historically depicted as welcoming and friendly people in remote snowy landscapes, in reality, Inuit live across the globe. Using antique wind-up bears, layered animation, and analogue techniques, McIntyre constructs an animated documentary in an exploration of identity and belonging by Inuit, both in and outside of community.