SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS
SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY 🔴 ENGLISH 🔴 FRENCH
The storied journey of Indigenous masks into the hands of the Surrealists
So Surreal: Behind the Masks is a feature documentary that traces the storied journey of Indigenous masks from the far reaches of Turtle Island (North America) into the hands of European Surrealists, influencing the work of some of the most well-known modern artists and writers of all time including Max Ernst, André Breton and Joan Miró – all while following the dramatic quest to return a mask that was brutally stolen from Canada’s northwest coast over a century ago. Part caper, part road trip, part spiritual journey, Behind the Mask follows award-winning Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (Reel Injun) as he travels coast-to-coast and across the Atlantic and back, gradually piecing together this groundbreaking global story of influence and hopeful restitution.
WRITER & DIRECTOR
NEIL DIAMOND
WRITER & DIRECTOR
JOANNE ROBERTSON
From the tundra of Yup’ik territory (Alaska), in the community of Bethel, on the Kuskokwim River, to
the lands of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw in the ʼNa̱mǥis island community of Alert Bay, off the northern tip of
Vancouver Island to the streets of New York City, and the galleries, museums, and private collections
of Paris, So Surreal: Behind the Masks was filmed in locations from the far reaches of Turtle Island & across the Atlantic.
We collaborated with Indigenous artists, knowledge keepers, community members, along with Surrealist scholars, family members, & museum curators
Director Neil Diamond at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, home to the famous wall from Surrealist André Breton’s studio.
Yup’ik artist, storyteller and dancer in front of the Swan Mask at the Louvre in Paris. The mask was formerly in the collection of Surrealist André Breton.
Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist Lou-ann Neel at the Museum of Vancouver.
Executive Director Juanita Johnston in the Potlatch Gallery at U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, B.C.
Juanita Johnston strategizing with art dealer Donald Ellis and director Neil Diamond about bringing home a mask that was confiscated in 1921 during the Potlatch Ban.
Credits
Written and Directed by
NEIL DIAMOND & JOANNE ROBERTSON
Produced by
DANIEL MORIN
Edited by
REBECCA LESSARD
Director of Photography
GLAUCO BERMUDEZ
YOAN CART
Executive Producers
CATHERINE BAINBRIDGE
ERNEST WEBB
Content Producer
CATHERINE BAINBRIDGE
Narrator
NEIL DIAMOND
Additional Writing
REBECCA LESSARD
Additional Directing (Alaska / BC)
CATHERINE BAINBRIDGE
Research
JOANNE ROBERTSON
Visual Research
REBECCA LESSARD
Additional Visual Research
G̱WA̱NTI'LAKW HUNT CRANMER
ANA PAULA CASTILLO MÉNDEZ
JOANNE ROBERTSON
Archival Producer - Rights and Clearances
ANA PAULA CASTILLO MÉNDEZ
Music by
ANAÏS LAROCQUE
Cameraman
VAN ROYKO
Additional Camera
FRÉDÉRIC BALLAND
HANNAH DUBOIS
PIERRE JODOIN
STÉPHANE KHARRAJI
KENNETH LAU
LUC ROBIDA
KERRY TASKER
Assistant Camera
PATRICK BEAULAC
PARKER CHEN
DANIEL DURANLEAU
CORY REYNOLDS
Location Sound
JESSE DUBÉ-SMITH
RENÉ PORTILLO-RUIZ
Additional Sound
RAMSAY BOURQUIN
VICTOR COLELOUGH
MARCO FANIA
LYNNE TRÉPANIER
Production Assistants
SHADOW ALFRED
ADAM GROSZMAN
LAUREN SIMKINS
Data Wranglers
BRITTANY JEFFERY
NATHAN SHUTTLEWORTH
CHRISTIAN SHELEPUK
Production Coordinators
CHEYENNE BRUNEAU
ANA PAULA CASTILLO MÉNDEZ
BRITTANY LEBORGNE
MARINA MILLER
Locations Manager/Fixer (Alaska)
SHANE REEVES
Associate Producer
CHEYENNE BRUNEAU
Assistant Editors
DAVE EARLES
GORDON HASHIMOTO
ANNIE HUNTING
Key Art, Titles & Graphics
KARA BLAKE
Additional Animation
SEE CREATURE
(DALE HAYWARD & SYLVIE TROUVÉ)
Online Editor
STÉPHANE ALLARD
Colour Correction and DCP
PMT
Colourist
JEAN-FRANÇOIS ROBICHAUD
Sound Design & Mixing
JEAN-OLIVIER BÉGIN
FRANCIS RENAUD-LEGAULT
Translations
CHUNA MCINTYRE
VERA NEWMAN
Thank you to the communities of Alert Bay, BC (Yalis) & Bethel, Alaska
for welcoming us onto your lands and sharing your knowledge and stories.
Special Thanks to
Juanita Johnston
U’mista Cultural Centre
Chuna McIntyre
Colin Browne
Aube Breton-Elléouët
Alisée Matta
Federica Matta
Jean-Jacques Lebel
Paz Núñez-Regueiro
BEHIND THE SCENES
