luísa cruz

Bkej is an exploration of plants as translators and mediators of our senses of belonging to the lands we call home. Shot at Bkejwanong (Walpole Island First Nation), filmmakers Derek Sands and Luísa Cruz worked with phytograms, an analogue filmmaking technique that makes use of plant matter to develop the film; in the process, the plants imprint themselves in the film strip, yielding abstract and whimsical effects. Working with plants not only invites us to learn about their ways of being, but also about each other, allowing us to have a more intimate connection with the lands we share.

Directed by Luísa Cruz and Derek Sands

Commissioned by the WhereWeStand Multimedia Storytelling Project, Toronto Metropolitan University