To perceive, from the Greek meaning 'touch at a distance'. Absent Presence is a surreal journey of a disconnected body seeking itself in the empty spaces of a house. A play of perceptions unfolds, blurring the line between the ambiguity of reflections and distorted shadows, prompting viewers to question their own experience.

The Montreal Steppers visit South Africa for a cultural and artistic exchange to learn from elders and youth, brilliant artists and knowledge keepers. Connecting to the roots of Gumboots, Pantsula and Stepping changed their lives and the work that they do. It fuelled a deeper commitment to sharing the history and honouring the art forms that paved the way for resistance, power and legacy. With this knowledge, they enter into spaces with a heightened appreciation and understanding that this dance form is indeed their “ancestral inheritance.”

Lukács and Broersen examine the Western colonial perception of the jungle as an untouched wilderness or 'terra nullius.' The film reimagines botanical gardens in Brussels, Paris, London, and Amsterdam—places where the wilderness was once appropriated and transported to Europe. The iconic song I Wan'na Be Like You from Disney’s Jungle Book (1967) is reinterpreted by collaborators, most notably the Afro-Surinamese music group Black Harmony, offering a proud reimagining of their community’s history and future in the diaspora.