Landscape of Moving Images: A Compendium of Prairie Cinema

Melanie Wilmink and Sol Nagler’s anthology of moving-image art on the plains

By Amber Christensen

Landscape of Moving Images: A Compendium of Prairie Cinema traverses the prairies from the foothills of Alberta through to the plains of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This collection of writings and observations is edited by Sol Nagler and Melanie Wilmink who previously collaborated on the editing and publication of Sculpting Cinema. Like Sculpting Cinema, the Compendium is an anthology that reflects on the work of moving image artists interspersed with original works, including from the Regina/Treaty 4-based Dianne Oullette. In a self-reflexive homage to Dianne’s own work, each issue of the publication will include one of 800 prairie wildflowers collected by Oullette. Other works from moving image artists Rhayne Vermette, Mike Maryniuk, and Lindsay McIntyre are found throughout the book.

The publication originated as an anniversary project for Winnipeg’s WNDX festival, formally launched at the 2021 edition of the festival this fall. Like WNDX, the collection of writings celebrates the idiosyncrasies of experimental moving images that percolate from cold winters and landlocked lives. Wilminik and Nagler’s introduction interweaves words from Guy Maddin, the grandfather of weird prairie cinema, and those of writer Aritha van Herk, who conjures that visceral insatiable restless insomnia that can consume prairie dwellers. —But in no way are the editors or contributors making the case that the artists or work produced on the ‘prairies’ is of some homogenous movement. Rather, a sort of critical or reflexive regionalism is discovered within the artistic practices, centres, and festivals discussed throughout the publication. A Landscapes of Moving Image: A Compendium of Prairie Image presents a diversity of practices with little attention paid to any sort of dialogue along the lines of “centre” and “periphery” that is often applied to the work of those who choose to live in and work outside of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

In his essay, Grain, Alex Roglaski turns to investigations of 20th century European settler histories, rooted in desolate landscapes and folkloric family genealogies captured in the works of Mike Rollo, Amalie Atkins, and Jason Britski. Vicki Van Chau traces a genealogy of artist-run moving image centres in Alberta, touching on her own personal formative experiences, particularly at EMMEDIA in Calgary. Daina Warren covers the work and career of “hometown hero” Darryl Nepinak, an Indigenous filmmaker and community worker who lives and works in Treaty One/Winnipeg.

In On the Emergence of a Calgary Voice in Animation, Peter Hemminger celebrates the distinct voice of Calgary’s animation scene, one effused with a scrappier, DIY lineage from those centres like Vancouver. Jonathan Petrychyn’s essay takes a dive into the archives to find the legacy and impact of queer film festivals on the prairies. Hannah Godfrey, a more recent settler from the UK, responds to works selected by Nagler, in her essay Running like an Echo: Thoughts on Six Experimental Films from Winnipeg. 

Janine Windolph’s history of the mispon: A Celebration of Indigenous Filmmaking closes out the publication. The mispon festival ran in Regina from 2006 to 2017 and its evolution is traced through Janinie’s personal reflection on the contributions of her close collaborator and adopted sister, the late Trudi Stewart. Windolph’s recollections remind us of the dedication and unpaid labour of moving image artists who carve out a space for under known voices. 

I had a chance to connect with Melanie by email to have her talk about the origins of the project, in the run-up to the launch of the publication.

Both you and Sol are no longer living on the prairies, so how come a compendium of prairie cinema? What was the impetus behind this project?

I had worked with Solomon Nagler on some previous projects, including the anthology Sculpting Cinema (2018), which focused on expanded cinema in Canada. We have both worked on the prairies (Sol is from Winnipeg and has been involved with WNDX Festival of Moving Image for a long time). After we finished the first book, Sol suggested that we do something new through WNDX to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the festival, in 2020. We have both moved away from the prairie provinces (I'm in Toronto and Sol is in Halifax), but as academics we recognize how little critical writing is disseminated outside of the local communities, and how important it is to document some of these stories and creative practices that are often forgotten by larger systems of Canadian and art history. Plus the work is incredible, and we had the chance to work with an amazing team of writers from across the country. I feel so privileged to be able to share that, and I appreciate that the Canada Council supported the project so that we could make that happen.  

How did this project come together?  

We started out by reaching out to people (who) we knew were doing work on prairie cinema topics and then asked them to write about something that would be suitable to their own interests. From there, we tried to round out the contributions to make sure that we had a diversity of viewpoints and writing styles. We really wanted the book to be solid critical writing, but also beautiful and accessible to people who aren't interested in academic jargon. We worked with designer Jayme Spinks (who also designed Sculpting Cinema) to make the book a beautiful aesthetic object. There are traditional essays, but also a selection of artworks in the book, to talk about these kinds of practices in a material way. We ended up with a lot of playful art contributions ranging from a flipbook that is embedded into the side of the whole book (Lindsay McIntyre) to dried daisies collected by Dianne Ouellette, which were then inserted by hand into each copy.  

I met you when we were both living in Regina and involved in the Filmpool, but what other ties do you have to the great plains/prairies?

I started my career in Alberta, going to the University of Calgary for my BFA and then working at the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and $100 Film Festival (now called Artifact Film Festival). It was a really important time in my life, coming right out of high school and finding my own footing and interests. The community was so lovely and supportive, and it really set the groundwork for a lot of my research interests and ongoing academic work. After I finished at CSIF, I went back to grad school in Regina, where I got to know the community there. They were also so wonderful and welcoming. I was only there for about a year, but everyone went out of their way to make me feel at home and part of the scene. I <3 Filmpool!

How do you think the prairie media arts fit into the wider Canadian moving image scene?

They're really unrecognized I think, especially in the major centres like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. I think the distances are so vast that it's easy for all Canadian cities to become a bit insular and only pay attention to what's happening nearby. The prairies are forced to look to the big centres more often because that's what is demanded of them by funding agencies like Canada Council (you have to be able to situate yourself as part of a tradition of excellence, right?) but in the big centres there's less pressure to know what's happening elsewhere. But on the other hand, there's so much happening here that it's easy to not put the effort in to widen your perspective. There are some incredible things happening outside of the major centres though, and I think that there is a much greater sense of community support and helping one another than there is in the big centres, where there is more competitive spirit.

The book brings together so many different practices and artists, but do you see any through-line between the artists, festivals, and centres that are touched on by the contributors?

We don't really see this book as a comprehensive history, but rather as a selection of fragments. There are such diverse practices in the different regions, and through different times, that I think it would be misleading to say this is the best or truest narrative of prairie cinema history. It's more like a series of snapshots, that can be positioned into a variety of different narratives. We really wanted to highlight the diversity of things that haven't been documented very much, and allow them to participate in the broader histories of art on the prairies. I think what you do see, though, is individual artists hustling to make art with limited resources, but doing so within grassroots support systems that make things a little bit easier. Maybe you can also see these artists trying to voice something unique about their own experience that isn't captured within mainstream entertainment or politics. They're small stories, by individual people, which grow in power as they gather together.

Landscape of Moving Images: A Compendium of Prairie Cinema is published by Nevermore Press.

Amber Christensen is a sometimes-moving image-maker and curator. She has shown works in experimental media festivals including AntiMatter (Victoria BC), WNDX (Winnipeg), and with MAWA (Winnipeg). She has programmed/curated screenings and exhibitions with Toronto’s Pleasure Dome (as a member of the curatorial collective from 2014-2016); InterAccess (Toronto); Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative; Estevan Art Gallery and the Dunlop Art Gallery.