The wild beauty of the Bella Coola Valley blends with vivid watercolor animation illuminating the role of the Nuxalk oral tradition and the intersection of story, place and culture.
Cry Rock · 28:43 · Documentary · HD · Colour · Stereo · English · Canada · 2010
In 2010, less than fifteen Nuxalk language speakers and storytellers remained. One of these elders is the director Banchi Hanuse’s grandmother. In a technologically obsessed century, it would seem easier to record Nuxalk stories for future generations, but Hanuse resists. Instead, she asks whether an electronic recording can capture the true meaning and value of these oral traditions. More importantly, can it be considered cultural knowledge?
Cry Rock examines how Nuxalk stories are more than mere words. With the passing of an elder, an invaluable link to a treasure of knowledge and experience reflecting the Nuxalk world view is lost. As Hanuse struggles with the decision, a spine tingling story about the Cry Rock in the bend of the Atnarko River, nestled in the Bella Coola Valley, is retold by Clyde Tallio, a young Nuxalk man.
Immersive and revealing, the documentary blends interviews set against the wild beauty of the Bella Coola Valley with vivid watercolour animation. Cry Rock illuminates the intersection of Nuxalk history, place and spirit that are at the heart of an oral storytelling tradition.
Indigenous Filmmakers Award
Social Change Film Festival 2012 | co-host First Peoples Worldwide
Kodak Image Award
Spotlight Awards | Women in Film & Television Vancouver 2012
Best Documentary Short Subject
Golden Sheaf Awards | 2011 Yorkton Film Festival
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Kathleen Shannon Award
Golden Sheaf Awards | 2011 Yorkton Film Festival
Audience Choice
Dawson City International Short Film Festival 2011
People’s Choice Award
Cowichan International Aboriginal Film Festival 2011
Most Inspirational Short Film (ages 13+)
Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth 2011
Best Documentary Short
6th Annual Vancouver Women in Film Festival
Honorable Mention – Best Indigenous Voice
Fargo Film Festival 2011
In Order of Appearance
ANUXIMANA • VIOLET TALLIO
SNXAKILA• CLYDE TALLIO
XIMLTWA • CLARENCE ELLIOTT
ILISTAYS • BEATRICE ELLIOTT
ALVIN MACK
QWATSINAS
WILHPUN • DEBORAH NELSON
LHMTIMUT • SAMUEL NELSON
Also Appearing
CARMEN HANS
TSU • JOE MACK
LHLALYAM • CHARLES NELSON
K’A7IT • JIMMY NELSON
ACWSALCTA SCHOOL
CHESTER BROOK
LYRIC GAJZAGO
ALBERT EDGAR
ISABEL LEYS
SILAS CHAPMAN-TALLIO
JADE MACK
TRINITY MACK
LHALYAMC • JOHN MOODY
CHASE YOUNKER
Writer|Director|Producer
SLTS’LANI • BANCHI HANUSE
Animator
JAY WHITE
Editor
CARMEN POLLARD
ERIN CUMMING
Cinematographer
SYLVAINE DUFAUX
Original Music
JOELYSA PANKANEA
Consulting Producer
RINA FRATICELLI
Camera Assistant
KIM McNAUGHTON
Sound Editor
MIKE PAPROCKI
Sound
BROOKE THOMSON
Production Assistant
SAMANTHA EDGAR
Additional Cinematography
BANCHI HANUSE
Colourist
SHANE McCORMACK
Story Consultant
ANNIE REID
Transcriber
UMQ’UMKLIKA • EVANGELINE HANUSE
Music Recordist
BRIAN BARR
Studio Musicians
Violin – MEREDITH BATES
Bass – MARK HANEY
Cello – ELINOR HARSHENIN
Guitar – RICK MADDOCKS
Animation Voice
BILLY ANDY SR
PATRICIA ANDY
LELAND DESTER
OPAL POOTLASS
FELISHA SNOW
DELILAH WEBBER
KYLE WINDSOR
To obtain the Cry Rock documentary for exhibition or educational use, please contact:
Moving Images Distribution
Phone: 604.684.3014
Toll Free: 800.684.3014
Email: mailbox@movingimages.ca
Check back for upcoming screenings or join us on Facebook and/or Twitter.
P A S T S C R E E N I N G S
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’s ALL ROADS FILM FESTIVAL
Washington, DC, USA
October 3, 2010
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (VIFF)
Vancouver, BC, Canada
October 6, 11, 13 & 15 2010
AMERICAN INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL (AIFF)
San Francisco, California, USA
November 7, 2010
RENCONTRES INTERNATIONALES DU DOCUMENTAIRE DE MONTRÉAL (RIDM)
Montréal, Québec, Canada
12 novembre & 14 novembre 2010
MOVIE MONDAY
Victoria, BC, Canada
December 13, 2010
UBC FIRST NATIONS HOUSE OF LEARNING
Vancouver, BC, Canada
February 3, 2011
POWELL RIVER FILM FESTIVAL
Powell River, BC, Canada
February 18, 2011
FARGO FILM FESTIVAL
Fargo, North Dakota, USA
March 4, 2011
VANCOUVER WOMEN IN FILM FESTIVAL
Vancouver, BC, Canada
March 6, 2011
SEBASTOPOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
Sebastopol, California, USA
March 20, 2011
NATIVE AMERICAN FILM + VIDEO FESTIVAL
New York, NY, USA
April 2, 2011
REEL 2 REAL | INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR YOUTH
Vancouver, BC, Canada
April 14, 2011
COWICHAN INTERNATIONAL ABORIGINAL FESTIVAL OF FILM & ART
Duncan, BC, Canada
April 14, 2011
DAWSON CITY INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
April 23, 2011
SMITHSONIAN’s NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
New York, NY, USA
Daily Screenings: April 4 – May 1, 2011
UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES
New York, NY, USA
May 16-27, 2011
DREAMSPEAKERS FILM FESTIVAL
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
June 3, 2011
SID WILLIAMS THEATRE SOCIETY
Courtenay, BC, Canada
June 29, 2011
ADÄKA CULTURAL FESTIVAL & YUKON FILM SOCIETY
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
July 5, 2011
FIRST PEOPLES’ FESTIVAL | PRÉSENCE AUTOCHTONE
Montréal, Québec, Canada
August 4, 2011
YUKON RIVERSIDE ARTS FESTIVAL
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
August 12, 2011
AMERICAN INDIAN FILM INSTITUTE TOURING COMMUNITY FILM FESTIVAL
Nisqually; Puyallup & Lummi, Washington, USA
July 29, August 12 & August 26, 2011
THE WORLD ANEW – CINEWORKS
Vancouver, Grand Forks, Rossland, Nelson, Kaslo, Winlaw/Vallican, Revelstoke, Windermere BC & Banff, Alberta
September 2011
BIINDIGAATE FILM FESTIVAL
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
September 24, 2011
DOXA FESTIVAL: SUNSHINE COAST
Sechelt, BC, Canada
October 3, 2011
NATIVE SPIRIT FESTIVAL
London, England
October 12, 2011
INDIGENOUS FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL
Denver, Colorado, USA
October 14, 2011
RENCONTRES DES CINÉMAS DU MONDE
Grigny, Rhone-Alpes, France
29 Octobre 2011
VANCOUVER INDIGENOUS MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL
Vancouver, BC, Canada
November 13, 2011
WINNIPEG ABORIGINAL FILM FESTIVAL
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
November 19, 2011
INDIANER INUIT: DAS NORDAMERIKA FILMFESTIVAL
Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
January 21, 2012
REFRAME PETERBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
January 27, 2012
HAIDA GWAII FILM FESTIVAL
Skidegate, Haida Gwaii, BC, Canada
February 26, 2012
ASINABKA FILM & MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
June 22, 2012
MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC
Vancouver, BC, Canada
September 11, 2012
SMITHSONIAN’s NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
Washington, DC, USA
Daily Screenings: October 2012
REGENT PARK FILM FESTIVAL
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
November 8, 2012
FIRST NATIONS FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
Chicago, Illinois, USA
November 9 & 10, 2012
SOCIAL CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
November 29, 2012
ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
December 1, 2012
NIWOT NATIVE AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Niwot, Colorado, USA
March 1, 2013
LONGHOUSE MEDIA / NORTHWEST FILM FORUM
Seattle, Washington, USA
March 30, 2013
ENDANGERED LANGUAGES SYMPOSIUM
Vancouver BC Canada
September 14, 2013
NEPAL INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL (NIFF)
Kathmandu, Nepal
June 14, 2014
KNOWLEDGE NETWORK
TV Broadcast Premiere
June 17, 2014
INDIGENOUS FILM at SU TEATRO
Denver, Colorado, USA
August 13, 2014
BOULDER RIGHTS OF NATURE FILM FESTIVAL
Boulder, Colorado, USA
October 19, 2014
NSI ONLINE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
National Screen Institute of Canada (NSI)
December 1, 2014 to March 25, 2015
SFU WOODWARD'S
November 9, 2016
Vancouver, BC, Canada
VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Fugitive Voices pre-concert screening
Vancouver, BC, Canada
February 26, 2017
CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA
Guiyang, Guizhou, China - July 6, 2018
Chengdu, Sichuan, China - July 9, 2018
TRIBAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL
March 1-3, 2019
Shillong, Meghalaya, India
MARGARET MEAD FILM FESTIVAL
The American Museum of Natural History
New York, NY, USA
Dec 3, 2022