From 1885 to 1951, Canadian law banned the Indigenous Potlatch ceremony. Those who defied the ban were arrested, and masks and ceremonial objects were confiscated. The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw nation has made it their quest to track down these sacred items. In some cases, the masks traveled across the country and eventually to Europe, finding their way into museums and private art collections, as well as ending up in the hands of surrealists like Max Ernst, André Breton, and Joan Miró. So Surreal: Behind the Masks traces the delightful confluence of the Yup’ik sensibility and the Western avant-garde movement and demonstrates the tremendous impact of Indigenous art in the most unexpected corners.
Neil Diamond and Joanne Roberton’s hugely entertaining film is part detective movie, part art doc. As it moves back and forth between Alert Bay, New York, and Paris, it provides an unusual and little-known perspective on art history, while highlighting the crucial work of redressing the cultural genocide perpetrated by Canadian and American authorities. Vital and vibrant, this film is an outstanding achievement.
Sept 29: Q&A with directors Neil Diamond & Joanne Robertson
Oct 1: Q&A with director Joanne Robertson
Presented by
Media Partner
Neil Diamond, Bill Cranmer, Juanita Johnston, Chuna McIntyre, John McIntyre
Canada
2024
English
Open to youth at SFU Woodwards
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Catherine Bainbridge, Ernest Webb
Producer
Daniel Morin
Screenwriter
Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson
Cinematography
Glauco Bermudez, Yoan Cart
Editor
Rebecca Lessard
Original Music
Anaïs Larocque
Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond is a Cree filmmaker from Waskaganish, Quebec, on the coast of James Bay. Neil co-directed the award-winning feature documentaries, Reel Injun (2009) and the more recent Red Fever (2024) along with Cree Spoken Here (2001), One More River (2004), and Heavy Metal: A Mining Disaster in Northern Quebec (2005). He is an award-winning photographer, and co-founder of The Nation, the first news magazine to serve the Cree of northern Quebec and Ontario.
Filmography: Cree Spoken Here (2001); One More River (2004); Heavy Metal: A Mining Disaster in Northern Quebec (2005); Reel Injun (2009); Inuit Cree Reconciliation (2013); Red Fever (2024)
Joanne Robertson
Joanne Robertson grew up as a settler on the west coast on the lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish). Today she is a director, researcher, and creative producer. She began her work with Rezolution Pictures over 25 years ago, collaborating with Cree co-director Neil Diamond on such documentary projects as Cree Spoken Here (2001), Dab Iyiyuu (2004-2006), and One More River (2004). She has worked as a story producer on APTN’s Lands Enchanted (2024) and the award-winning documentary Red Fever (2024).
Filmography: À Table (2010)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Vivaldi and Me
Venice, 1716. Composer Antonio Vivaldi teaches at an orphanage for abandoned girls, and establishes a deep rapport with violinist Cecelia — but their collaboration is threatened by her impending arranged marriage.
Amadou & Mariam: The Blind Couple From Mali
This lovely portrait of the irresistible Malian musicians traces how the blind couple met in Bamako and instantly connected, their triumphs on the world stage and collaborations with the likes of Chris Martin, Damon Albarn and Manu Chao.
Ghost in the Shell
This seminal anime which inspired James Cameron and the Wachowskis, anticipates how AI technology encroaches on the human domain in ways we can scarcely comprehend. "A work of profound and melancholic beauty." Daily Telegraph
Mistura
This foodie film from Peru tells the story of a newly single socialite reinventing herself — and the local cuisine — after her husband has left her for a younger woman. Along the way, she finds support from unexpected places...
Before Sunrise
An American backpacker (Ethan Hawke) meets a French girl (Julie Delpy) on the train to Vienna. They decide to spend the next 14 hours together until it's time for his flight. They walk and talk. This brief encounter will mark the rest of their lives.
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Sasha Waters' documentary takes us through the life of America's best-selling late twentieth century poet, a private woman who shared her innermost thoughts and made them indispensable.