ScaredSacred

In the wake of 9/11, BC filmmaker Velcrow Ripper (Incandescence) embarked on a form of pilgrimage, visiting ground zero in Manhattan and other sites of disaster and human calamity around the globe — war-torn Cambodia and Bosnia, Bhopal in India, Palestine, Afghanistan… A sobering itinerary, to be sure. But the artist’s mission was to seek out hope and the seeds of regeneration; to turn fear on its head and connect with what is truly sacred. Twenty years on, the world remains a scary and a fragile place, but the lessons Ripper took, from the Dalai Lama and others, are all the more precious.

This free screening is presented as a tribute to producer Tracey Friesen, a friend of the festival and a tireless progressive in our industry, who believed in the power of art and culture to effect lasting change. Tracey died much too young in January.

Velcrow Ripper and other special guests in attendance

In Partnership with