Another solid part of the TIFF Docs lineup, SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS was one of the most anticipated documentaries of the Festival this year!
About: 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 and worldview 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 efforts to return a ceremonial mask that was brutally stolen from the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people on Canada’s northwest coast over a century ago.
Reaction: Following a few different stories and narratives, SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS has a light-hearted and entertaining journey while also being a pretty serious topic with a lot of Canadian Indigenous culture. The movie starts in New York but quickly moves to Alaska on a pretty big journey of locating masks, totem poles and other artifacts. While i usually don’t care for the “thesis” documentary where the narrator also explains what the movie is about in the introduction, this is also a very strong topic that will inspire a lot of discussion at TIFF and along its future. SO SURERAL is with the Documentary Channel so very likely it will go straight to streaming or cable, but it’s still a very well researched, involving and memorable doc experience. The movie would work well with some special event theatrical screenings with Q&As, then with a streaming release afterwards.
Thanks to TIFF Media for assistance with this reaction article. This is one of the many movies playing at TIFF this year. For more information, point your browser to www.tiff.net!