Watch the Trailer for Toronto Player ‘So Surreal: Behind the Masks’: About Ancient Native Artwork’s Influence on Surrealism and the Difficulties of Repatriation (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comJamie Lang Serial Maven Studios has given Variety exclusive access to the trailer for Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson’s “So Surreal: Behind the Masks,” a Native American documentary world premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The film follows Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (“Reel Injun,” “Red Fever”) as he studies the anthropological connection between Yup’ik and Northwest Coast ceremonial masks and surrealist artists inspired by them.
A deep dive into the tremendous influence that historical native artwork continues to have among contemporary artists, the film also shines a light on the complex process of repatriation and why it’s important that Indigenous communities have access to their cultural artifacts that are regularly kept in museums and private collections.
What starts as an exercise to examine complex issues quickly takes on a practical dimension when Diamond becomes involved in a quest to help return a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw ceremonial mask to its rightful owners. “So Surreal: Behind the Masks” is produced by Rezolution Pictures, an Indigenous-owned production company working to change the way that diversity and representation are recognized in the entertainment industry.
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