Tony Papa

In the not-too-distant future, we have solved all the world’s problems, mitigated climate change, eradicated poverty, and achieved true trans-species equality. There’s just one catch… humans have to end life at 50, and teenage artists have to document it. It’s Kiah’s first day on the job.

In this short documentary, a Musqueam elder rediscovers his Native language and traditions in the city of Vancouver, in the vicinity of which the Musqueam people have lived for thousands of years. Writing the Land captures the ever-changing nature of a modern city - the glass and steel towers cut against the sky, grass, trees and a sudden flash of birds in flight and the enduring power of language to shape perception and create memory.

This documentary celebrates the vibrant culture and tenacious struggle of the Gypsy. There is a new generation of Roma who claim their Gypsy roots with pride, while fighting the myths that caused their parents to live in fear. They call themselves by their rightful name, the Roma. Since the Roma people fled India in the 11th century, the have suffered almost a thousand years of persecution - from European Slavery to the Holocaust - yet they have survived as a unique global culture.