Bkej
COLLABORATION
JOINT ARTISTS STATEMENT
Luísa Cruz
Brazilian descent
MA, Communication and Culture, Toronto Metropolitan University
Derek Sands
Walpole Island First Nation
MFA, Documentary Media, Toronto Metropolitan University
Bkej is an exploration of plants as translators and mediators of our senses of belonging to the Lands we call home. Filmed 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 on 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.