Biidaaban: First Light

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Biidaban: First Light is a Canadian immersive virtual reality film, created by Lisa Jackson and released in 2018. [1] The film places viewers in an immersive vision of a Downtown Toronto that has been reclaimed by nature, with vegetation and animals living freely inside the urban landscape, with narration in the indigenous Wendat, Mohawk and Ojibwe languages. [2]

Jackson has indicated that the film is not meant to be perceived as apocalyptic, but as a meditation on the importance of humans living in harmony with nature to build a positive future. [3] She created the film in conjunction with 3D artist Mathew Borrett, digital production agency Jam3 and the digital studio of the National Film Board of Canada. [4]

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018. [2] It received a special event screening at Nathan Phillips Square in September, [5] before having its official Canadian premiere at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. [6]

Awards

At imagineNATIVE, the film won the award for Best Interactive Work. [7] It won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience, Fiction at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019. [8]

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