Biidaban: First Light is a Canadian immersive virtual reality film, created by Lisa Jackson and released in 2018. [1] The film places viewers in an immersive vision of a Downtown Toronto that has been reclaimed by nature, with vegetation and animals living freely inside the urban landscape, with narration in the indigenous Wendat, Mohawk and Ojibwe languages. [2]
Jackson has indicated that the film is not meant to be perceived as apocalyptic, but as a meditation on the importance of humans living in harmony with nature to build a positive future. [3] She created the film in conjunction with 3D artist Mathew Borrett, digital production agency Jam3 and the digital studio of the National Film Board of Canada. [4]
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018. [2] It received a special event screening at Nathan Phillips Square in September, [5] before having its official Canadian premiere at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. [6]
Awards
At imagineNATIVE, the film won the award for Best Interactive Work. [7] It won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience, Fiction at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019. [8]
References
- ^ Chris Rattan, "Virtual reality film imagines an Indigenous future for Toronto". Now, September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Rhiannon Johnson, "Anishinaabe artist's new VR experience takes an Indigenous futurist look at Toronto". CBC News Indigenous, April 14, 2018.
- ^ Lucius Dechausay, "Imagine if Toronto were reclaimed by nature. This Indigenous futurism VR experience takes you there". CBC Arts, September 18, 2018.
- ^ Randy Astle, "“Our Culture is in Our Language”: Lisa Jackson on Her VR Film Biidaaban: First Light and Indigenous Futurism". Filmmaker, July 23, 2018.
- ^ Gilbert Ngabo, "The subway tracks are flooded, highrises crumbling: Step into a Toronto reclaimed by nature in Indigenous artist’s highly realistic virtual reality film". Toronto Star, September 18, 2018.
- ^ Chris Knight, "How Biidaaban imagines a future in which the First Peoples have reclaimed their territory". National Post, September 21, 2018.
- ^ Laura Friesen, "NSI grads pick up awards at 2018 imagineNATIVE film fest". National Screen Institute, October 22, 2018.
- ^ "CBC's Finding Cleo among winners at Canadian Screen Awards". CBC News, March 28, 2019.