Award-winning horse relay documentary Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun drops on streaming platforms December 22
Young Siksika woman Logan Red Crow competes in the risky Indian Relay in the film, which had a sold-out run at VIFF in October
Logan Red Crow brushing Sally in Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun. Photo by Ben Giesbrecht
Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun is available to stream on Paramount+ and free on demand on TELUS Optik TV Channel 8 beginning December 22
BAREBACK HORSE RELAY racing, one of the most dangerous sports in the world, comes to life on screen in a breathtaking way in Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun.
The documentary produced by Victoria’s Taxam Films follows young Siksika woman Logan Red Crow as she prepares to race in the men’s Indian Relay at the Calgary Stampede. As she trains day after day, Red Crow’s deep ties with her family prevail throughout the film directed by Banchi Hanuse, which is shot mainly against the sprawling plains of Alberta’s Blackfoot Territory.
Stir spoke to Red Crow and co-executive producer Carey Newman ahead of the film’s run of sold-out screenings at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October. “It’s an incredibly compelling sport,” Newman shared. “It’s thrilling. You just have to watch a little bit of it, and you get immediately engaged and excited.”
Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the award for Best Film About the American West.
The documentary will now be available to Canadian audiences for at-home viewing beginning December 22 on Paramount+ and TELUS Optik TV Channel 8.
Logan Red Crow and Sally. Photo by Izzy Pullen
Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.
Related Articles
The filmmaker’s directorial debut, screening at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, traces her personal journey to unite with a sister she never knew existed
Mexican actor and first-time feature director reflects on the powers of film to find the universal in the local and reveal new sides of an artist’s personality
Writer-director Daniel Hendler’s feature blends elements of noir and comedy to tell the tale of a mild-mannered cop on the run from corrupt colleagues
Saving Etting Street looks at an inspiring building project in Baltimore; “Egg Yolk Custard Bun (奶黃包)” features full-bodied food performances; and What Will I Become takes a moving look behind the statistics of trans suicide
François.e helps a cynical screenwriter see the world through trans eyes; The Electric Kiss revels in 1920s-era comedy; and The Party’s Over creates a biting critique under the southern French sun
Amid today’s full programming announcement of more than 160 features, DEVO icon Mark Mothersbaugh is added to VIFF Live lineup
Lineup opens with cop-on-the-run comedy A Loose End and closes with Vainilla, renowned Mexican actor Mayra Hermosillo’s directorial debut
Compelling shorts, strong documentaries, and features such as Apolo and Gugu’s World bring forward local and international voices
Visions Ouest Productions and the Alliance present true-life sports comedy Le Rêve américain and compelling walking documentary Á pied, with English subtitles
Retro summer series continues with the cult hit The Big Lebowski, a rare big-screen look at the risk-taking Run Lola Run, and more
Local singer puts her own improvisational spice on classic songs in ode to Anita O’Day’s iconic performance in the acclaimed, 1959 Newport Jazz Festival documentary
Hayashi Kaizo’s hard-boiled trio moves from cheerful spoof to disturbing violence in a distinctly Japanese play on old Mickey Spillane stories
Set on the edge of Horseshoe Falls, the stunningly shot crime thriller with the dangerous femme fatale deserves a new look on the big screen
Highlights include Argentinian-Uruguayan opener A Loose End, and guest filmmakers Oscar Ruiz Navia and Mayra Hermosillo
The series includes appearances by Canadian and international artists, including throat-singing duo Silla, composer Kelly Moran, and experimental rock act Xiu Xiu
Save up to 30 percent on festival packs and passes—and get exclusive access to festival tickets 24 hours before they go on sale to the general public
Now streaming on Knowledge.ca, John Bolton–helmed movie stars Niall McNeil, Marcus Youssef, Veda Hille, Nathan Kay, and more, in a mix of artists with and without Down syndrome
Oscar-winning Vancouver animator David Fine curates some of his favourite shorts, plus his own Animal Behaviour and Bob’s Birthday
Ranging from 1970s-era experiments in animation to an urgently current documentary, the offerings delve into the meaning of community and the power of place names
Screened outdoors at Cates Deck, outside The Polygon Gallery, Jafar Panahi’s guerrilla-style 2006 comedy captures the mood of World Cup fever
This year’s series features al fresco screenings of top-tier sports films, from Shaolin Soccer to A League of Their Own
Amid small miracles, and also tragedies, Deanna Milligan and Ramsey Fendall conjured analogue, ’90s-era strangeness by adopting the spirit of a community art project
The theatre’s organ was installed in 1927—the same year Alfred Hitchcock released his first thriller, about a Jack the Ripper–esque killer
Retrospective unites the late British filmmaker’s feature-length works, including A Quiet Passion and Distant Voices, Still Lives
With influences including Hideaki Anno and Alfred Hitchcock, debut feature by Surrey-raised director builds uncanny atmosphere as a quiet young woman points her camera into neighbours’ windows
Illustrated Legacies: Graveyard of the Pacific wins Nigel Moore Award; And the Fish Fly Above Our Heads و الأسماك تطير فوق رؤوسنا named best feature
Down-and-out buddies follow the randomness of life in evocatively shot Italian film by Francesco Sossai
At the VIFF Centre, debut feature by fast-rising filmmaker splices past and present in a powerful story that is part time-travel fiction, part nostalgic vision of ’90s Vancouver Island
The poignant film focuses on Vancouver singer-songwriter Cassidy Waring as she delves into an unresolved family tragedy
