Audience members enjoying the Q&A after the opening night film.

The 27th Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) kicked off May 31st at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint with a screening of the narrative feature ATIKAMEKW SUNS by Chloé Leriche. Out of 3,351 film entries, 158 were chosen from over 100 countries, with even the “smallest of films” being eligible for the top festival award, The Grand Chameleon. Films are placed into six categories—Feature Narrative, Short Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation—with a total of 30 award winners.

Festivities ensued to celebrate opening night, which included a Q&A with Leriche and cast member, Wikwasa Newashish-Petiquay. This year’s theme, “Immersion,” reflects the festival’s intention to honor and promote vertical storytelling—stories that delve deep beneath the surface and compel viewers to contemplate hidden meanings.

Michael Barringer, Narrative Feature Programmer, addresses opening night audience.

Based on a true story, ATIKAMEKW SUNS depicts a 1977 incident in Quebec involving the Atikamekw First Nation of Manawan. In this tragic event, a van of five deceased Atikamekws were discovered in a nearby river, with two white men surviving the “accident.” While evidence indicates potential foul play, the Quebec police fail to launch a proper investigation, even amid pleas from the victims’ families.

Filmed in the native Atikamekw language with several of the actors having close ties to the victims and their families (some are even relatives), ATIKAMEKW SUNS immerses us in the events and reverberations surrounding the incident. Leriche blends both elements of narrative storytelling and documentary to intricately capture the sentiments felt by the community. Each shot is an intentional work of art, showcasing Leriche’s experimental video background. For some of the victims’ families, whom Leriche realized never discussed or fully grieved the incident, participating in the project offered layers of healing.

Chloe Leriche (Filmmaker of openining night film), ... Mackell (BFF) and Wikwassa Newashish (Actress).

Through this seven-year project, Leriche exposes the racial biases experienced by the First Nation communities in Canada, which are also still prevalent in countries such as Mexico, Chile, and the United States. During the Q&A portion of the night, Leriche explained that she began working on ATIKAMEKW SUNS after filming her first feature in 2016, Avant les Rues, which also spotlights the Atikamekw community. At the time, Leriche said, there were several cases of missing native women and subsequent problems with the Quebec Police. Due to this climate, many Atikamekw families asked Leriche to talk about this unresolved case from 1977. Over thirty years later, racism against First Nation communities is still present among the Canadian public services, and despite the Quebec police reopening the case, the two white men involved still did not face any legal accusations.

As a poignant example of immersive and vertical storytelling, ATIKAMEKW SUNS will also close the 27th Brooklyn Film Festival at the Wythe Hotel on June 9th, followed by the awards ceremony. Earlier this year, the film won awards for Best Cinematography and Best Narrative Feature at the Atlanta Film Festival. For Avant les Rues, Leriche has also received numerous awards, including the Borsos Award of Best Canadian Feature at Whistler Film Festival in 2016.

The Brooklyn Film Festival reminds us of the social impact and power that independent films hold. As a “public forum,” the festival’s mission is to stimulate engagement and interest in independent films, as well as highlight the importance of boundless creativity. Its 2024 lineup is inspiring and invites us to celebrate artistic innovation and strengthen the Brooklyn cinema community.

Article by Romi Bachar, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Georgia Wallace, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
*Images provided by The Brooklyn Film Festival

Brooklyn Film Festival Opening Night