Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes)

Lautaro

September 1978 •German

The Mapuche tribe asks their Gods for help in difficult situations, including illness and drought. When the Spanish conquerers on their horses invade their country, the indigenous people think that they are aliens. The Spaniards capture and enslave many of the Mapuche tribe. Lautaro, a young captured native, realizes that these aliens are human beings without any divine power. He learns to use their weapons and organizes a resistance movement against the intruders.

Grape Soda in the Parking Lot

May 2023 •English

Taqralik Partridge asks what if every language that had been lost to English — every word, every syllable — grew up out of the ground in flowers? Taqralik’s grandmother’s Scottish Gaelic and her father’s Inuktitut unfold in memories of her family, of pain, and of love.

A Bear Named Jesus

April 2023 •English

At Archer’s Aunty Gladys’ funeral, he hears a tap on the window — it’s a bear named Jesus, who has come for Archer’s mom. “A Bear Named Jesus” is an allegory for religious interference, with an aching yet humorous look at estrangement and mourning for the loss of someone still living.

Mfinda

Invalid date •English

A 12-year-old Congolese girl is taken to the mfinda, a primordial forest teeming with spirits, gods and ancestors. There she meets up with another young girl from a different time and together they set out to find the magical Nkisi, vessels that hold ancestral spirits as well as empowering materials or medicines, that will help her find her way home.

Dance with the Heart

October 2019 •Spanish

Marina is a girl who discovers the legends and traditions of her ancestors on a magical journey through the nature that surrounds her and takes her to Shark Island. Short film spoken in the Comcáac language.

Little Thunder

January 2009 •English

This animated short, inspired by the Mi'kmaq legend "The Stone Canoe" explores Indigenous humour. We follow Little Thunder as he reluctantly leaves his family and sets out on a cross-country canoe trip to become a man.

Winning the West

August 1946 •English

The big bad cats are the villains/Indians, and the little mice are the settlers going west in their little covered wagons, and the Indians are on a rampage about it. Things look dark indeed for the settlers when the likes of Buffalo Bill, General Custer and Daniel Boone are unable to defeat the attacking cats but...wait...up in the sky...here comes the singing, flying mouse...Mighty Mouse. Not recommended for Revisionists.

Boos and Arrows

October 1954 •English

Casper the Friendly Ghost helps Little Feather go hunting.

Felix Goes West

August 1924 •English

Felix gets into trouble with a tribe of Indians out west, and is chased by a bear.

Picchu

July 2022 •Spanish

Picchu is a story that follows the journey of an Andean girl named Mayu and the unconditional support of her mother. The path will not be simple. Mayu will rely on her determination and her mother's teachings to overcome her fears and doubts to fulfill her destiny. Picchu reflects the reality of many children around the world.

The Fourfold

June 2020 •Mongolian

Based on the shamanic rituals in Mongolia and Siberia, this is a testament to the need to reclaim the ideas of animism for planetary health and non-human materialities.

Totem Talk

April 1997 •English

Traditional Northwestern Indigenous spiritual images combined with cutting-edge computer animation in this surreal short film about the power of tradition. Three urban Indigenous teens are whisked away to an imaginary land by a magical raven, and there they encounter a totem pole. The totem pole's characters—a raven, a frog and a bear—come to life, becoming their teachers, guides and friends. Features a special interview with J. Bradley Hunt, the celebrated Heiltsuk artist on whose work the characters in Totem Talk are based.

Lo que hizo Luna

November 2021 •Spanish

Oral legend of the Amazonian nationality Secoya del Ecuador. Tells the story of Ñañe (the moon) and how it created the world.

Cora. La creación del mundo

January 2020 •Spanish

Islet

February 2003 •English

For an Inuit fisherman, technology means absurdity. Floating out on a block of ice, he doesn't have any other choice to grab onto some flying fish to save himself.

Fuego

July 2021 •Spanish

Xóchitl is an indigenous woman who must fight for her freedom before the birth of her baby, since she finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship. She will have to face a town full of prejudices and accomplices of her abuser. However, Xóchitl has the inner strength of her lineage, which will manifest itself in her favor.

The Myth of the Water Goddess

October 2022 •Spanish

A little girl will have to sing to the mythical goddess of water so that this valuable liquid can reach her community.

Hop Along Hang On

September 2021 •English

Rose the rabbit seeks her way home in this poetic story of reclamation, recovery, and reconciliation.

El origen de las minas de sal de San Mateo

January 2020 •Spanish

The Chuj tell the story of three brothers and the reason behind the origin of the largest salt mines in San Mateo.

Akateko. La aparición de san Miguel Arcángel

January 2020 •Spanish