WhereWeStand Comes Full Circle
The WhereWeStand cohort takes the stage at the 2025 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
On Sunday, June 8, audiences gathered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (external link) for the final premiere of One Land, Two Hearts: WhereWeStand, a deeply moving showcase of eight short films co-created by Indigenous and newcomer artists from across Canada. Held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre, the event marked the culmination of the WhereWeStand project, which has toured the country over the past year, inviting communities to reflect on identity, shared histories, and the potential for connection through collaborative storytelling. Over its multi-province journey in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, WhereWeStand has served as a transformative model for community collaboration and arts-based research.
Each short film in the WhereWeStand collection emerged from a creative partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous newcomer participants. Together, they explored themes of land, belonging, and cultural exchange. The resulting stories, diverse in form and tone, shared one common thread: the power of listening and learning from one another.
During the screening, audiences also experienced a powerful live performance highlighting the shared connections between Palestine and the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, as well as a thought-provoking conversation with the filmmakers.
“We are shaped by the stories we allow ourselves to share,” said Cyrus Sundar Singh, creative director and Gemini Award-winning filmmaker.
The project was co-led by Sundar Singh, Nicole Lee, Anishinaabe Kwe filmmaker of Couchiching First Nation, and Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at TMU.
Coming just ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the screening offered a timely reminder of the importance of Indigenous voices in conversations about migration, reconciliation, and the future of Canada. As the curtain closed on this final live event, WhereWeStand leaves a legacy of shared understanding and solidarity across differences.
