World premiere of Terril Calder’s NFB installation ‘Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics’ at Tribeca
Skwigly
Meneath:The Mirrors of Ethics (Image courtesy of NFB)
The Tribeca Festival’s “Tribeca Immersive” showcase will present the world premiere of renowned Métis filmmaker and media artist Terril Calder’s National Film Board of Canada (NFB) installation Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics, from June 7 to 18 in New York.
Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics charts the challenging journey of a precocious Métis Baby Girl as she contemplates her path to Hell. Using interfering screens in an object reminiscent of a puppet theatre, this stop-motion installation unearths Nokomis, the Wise Grandmother whispering the Sacred Teachings to Baby Girl, in parallel to Jesus shepherding her through seven Deadly Sins.
The installation is adapted from Calder’s award-winning 2021 NFB stop-motion animated short Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics, chosen as one of the top ten short films of the year by the Toronto International Film Festival and winner of nine awards.
About the experience
In the middle of Turtle Island, a Métis Baby Girl is born. Her childhood wonder is disrupted when Jesus appears and tells her about the so-called sins of humanity. Convinced she is soiled and destined for Hell, the abuse and racism she endures leave her riddled with self-loathing and fear. To quell her trauma, Nokomis brings light to the Anishinaabe Teachings buried deep within Baby Girl. For every alleged Sin, Baby Girl is given a Teaching that fills her with strength and pride, and affirms a path towards healing.
Through a system of interfering screens, Terril Calder forces our gaze below the surface to witness a dissection of the colonial narrative, physically shifting the dominant Christian perspective. The installation offers an augmented reality-type looking glass into the Indigenous ethical voice that often remains hidden. Indigenous Teachings are reflected from the earth and fused into the story to create a unique viewing experience that’s dependent on where you stand in relation to the interfering screens.
Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics features the voice of Gail Maurice (Cardinal, Tricksters) and was edited by the late visionary Indigenous filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Blood Quantum).
Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics was produced by Jelena Popović with Eloi Champagne as technical director, and Jason Ryle as consulting producer. The executive producers are Robert McLaughlin and Michael Fukushima for the NFB English Program Animation & Interactive Studio.
Read more about the work of Terril Calder in our 2022 interview