Four Faces of the Moon

Outside Canada? Watch the full film on YouTube.

RUNTIME: 13:40

“It is well know that the United States, its army, and its government deliberately exterminated the buffalo in order to exterminate the indians who lived on them (...) By 1885, when the railroad was completed across Canada, the buffalo was virtually extinct and the Indians and Métis who had depended on it were starving. The sudden and systematic slaughter of the buffalo certainly helped to serve Ottawa’s plan.

— Howard Adams - Prison of Grass

Four Faces of the Moon follows the animated journey of an Indigenous photographer as she travels through time. She witnesses moments in her family's history and strengthens her connection to her Métis, Cree and Anishnaabe ancestors.

• Related: Four Faces of the Moon: An untold story of colonization

This is a personal story, told in four chapters through the eyes of director and writer Amanda Strong. The oral and written history of her family reveals the story —  we witness the impact and legacy of the railways, the slaughter of the buffalo and colonial land policies.

Four Faces of the Moon contains no English language, relying on sound, image and Indigenous voice to tell the story. This multi-layered approach to storytelling may leave you with more questions than answers: it is an invitation to look into your own understanding of history, legacy and the importance in knowing who you are and where you’re from.

• Related: 1000 handmade skulls: The making of Four Faces of the Moon