A filmmaker and former dancer returns to her family home to make an elaborate dance film with her parents, but when they fail to live up to unrealistic expectations, she hires professional dancers to play them. A collaborative dance unfolds within her family home, as captured through behind-the-scenes and 16mm footage, all of which becomes gradually overshadowed by her mother’s metastasizing cancer. The hybrid film that emerges is a loving tribute to one family’s way of facing mortality and a darkly funny meditation on that impossible urge to hold onto the past; on what family archives come to mean on the eve of loss.

Caravan is a series of portraits of a young immigrant community undergoing language integration at school in a working-class neighbourhood of Montreal. Through a hybrid form of documentary and poetic mise-en-scène, the film presents a series of tableaux that highlight the humanity of otherwise discriminated and marginalized groups.

Between loads of laundry at the corner laundromat, Cooper shares the story of her gender reassignment journey. Piecing together her memories, from her childhood in a small fishing village through her tumultuous medical process, Cooper attempts to make peace with the last male imprint remaining on her body: that annoying deep voice that sticks to her skin.

In Oulton, Leeds, an old coal-mining community of over 60 houses still stands. Originally built as temporary council housing but later sold to private investors, these homes now face the threat of demolition, putting a large number of residents at risk of displacement—some of whom have lived there their entire lives. Through a combination of audio interviews and a striking visual metaphor, we uncover the stories of a tightly-knit community, their cherished memories, and the stress and uncertainty surrounding their ongoing campaign to save their homes.

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.”

Yelda del Carmen leaves her Cuban homeland for Montreal, where she must rebuild her dance career from scratch. Before fully dedicating herself to her dance aspirations, she undertakes a unique climbing adventure in Cuba. She aims to leave a lasting imprint on history by becoming the first Cuban woman to conquer three mythical ascents.