As part of TIFF’s sesquicentennial initiative Canada on Screen, four Indigenous filmmakers and artists – Danis Goulet, Kent Monkman, Scott Benesiinaabandan, and the interdisciplinary arts collective Postcommodity – have been commissioned to create VR projects envisioning Indigenous life 150 years in the future.
“First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people must always contend with the past. We live with the echoes of decisions and actions taken seven generations ago, and we know that the actions we take now will resonate for the next seven generations. 2167 imagines what some of these Indigenous futures may be – and the very act of imagining a future for ourselves is itself a rebuke to colonial rule, which prefers that our images, our stories and our existence be strictly historical, consigned to the past.
As Indigenous peoples our very presence in the present is political, our mere existence an act of resistance against more than 150 years of state policy designed to erase us from Turtle Island, and against a dominant culture that requires our extinction in order to make it’s own self-determined destiny manifest. 2167 insists that we will still be here, as we have always been, in the future; it demands that the states that now occupy this land reconcile their actions against us not only in the past and present, but those against our future selves as well. 2167 is not just a date, but a cry of survival, of endurance, of triumph. This is our destiny. Welcome to our future.” Jesse Wente
A Waiver will be required to be signed on-site for the 2167 Experience. Please be aware:
- Children under 13 are not permitted to use the VR gear.
- While viewing, some people may experience dizziness, seizures, eye or muscle twitching or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns.
- If you feel that you may be experiencing discomfort or adverse health effects, please let us know immediately so we can stop the trial and safely discontinue your use of the headset.
- You must be aware of your physical surroundings.
- A 2167 Tour volunteer and/or Facilitator may be required to provide some assistance so you can make the most of your time with the VR headsets. This may include such actions as making sure that the headset is securely fastened to your head, guiding you so you can locate and navigate the controls, and safely removing the headset once the trial has ended.