As part of the New Frontiers program at Sundance this year, Indigenous Canadian artist Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) premiered his latest project, an immersive documentary short called This Is Not a Ceremony. The film tells the story of Adam North Peigan and Brian Sinclair, two Indigenous men who suffered great tragedy and hardship at the hands of a colonial system working against them.
Ahnahktsipiitaa uses the virtual reality experience to tell This Is Not a Ceremony, placing viewers in the position of being surrounded by the story and issues, rather than simply observing. Although best categorized as a documentary, the cinematic VR takes the experience beyond talking head interviews and a simple transfer of information. Instead, elders are projected in the sky, inviting you to engage with the history their people and the discrimination North Peigan and Sinclair experienced.
Two Indigenous trickster poets act as our guides, bringing us into the stories of North Peigan and Sinclair. They offer moments of levity to balance the heartbreaking events, and are helpful in understanding the history and traditions. The stories themselves may be familiar to some, but told within this immersive experience, they feel more poignant and personal.
The visuals Ahnahktsipiitaa creates are stunning. Upon entering the world, a beautiful bison circles, the orange and yellow glowing fibers illuminating the space. Throughout This Is Not a Ceremony, viewers are surrounded by images of nature, keeping us grounded throughout the experience. While Ahnahktsipiitaa's imagery is specifically made with VR in mind, he thankfully doesn't give into the temptation of using cheap VR gimmicks. By keeping things straightforward, Ahnahktsipiitaa gets the most out of the VR experience.
Projects like This Is Not a Ceremony show the potential of cinematic VR, and it's exciting to see where artists like Ahnahktsipiitaa take the medium in the future.
The 2022 Sundance Film Festivals runs online from January 20 to 30.
(National Film Board of Canada)Ahnahktsipiitaa uses the virtual reality experience to tell This Is Not a Ceremony, placing viewers in the position of being surrounded by the story and issues, rather than simply observing. Although best categorized as a documentary, the cinematic VR takes the experience beyond talking head interviews and a simple transfer of information. Instead, elders are projected in the sky, inviting you to engage with the history their people and the discrimination North Peigan and Sinclair experienced.
Two Indigenous trickster poets act as our guides, bringing us into the stories of North Peigan and Sinclair. They offer moments of levity to balance the heartbreaking events, and are helpful in understanding the history and traditions. The stories themselves may be familiar to some, but told within this immersive experience, they feel more poignant and personal.
The visuals Ahnahktsipiitaa creates are stunning. Upon entering the world, a beautiful bison circles, the orange and yellow glowing fibers illuminating the space. Throughout This Is Not a Ceremony, viewers are surrounded by images of nature, keeping us grounded throughout the experience. While Ahnahktsipiitaa's imagery is specifically made with VR in mind, he thankfully doesn't give into the temptation of using cheap VR gimmicks. By keeping things straightforward, Ahnahktsipiitaa gets the most out of the VR experience.
Projects like This Is Not a Ceremony show the potential of cinematic VR, and it's exciting to see where artists like Ahnahktsipiitaa take the medium in the future.
The 2022 Sundance Film Festivals runs online from January 20 to 30.
