A Nation is Coming

• Written and Diected by Kent Monkman
• Produced by Gisèle Gordon
• A collaboration with dancer/choreographer Michael Greyeyes
• Produced by Urban Nation
• 1996, 24 minutes, colour, stereo, Beta ½”
• Distributed by Vtape

Synopsis

A Nation is Coming draws upon various Indigenous prophecies to reflect on how technology, 'advancement', and disease have changed both the land and the lives of those who have always lived here. Against images of fire, disease, and the bleakness of modern civilisation, a Ghost Dancer is resurrected: a symbol of the ill-fated prophecy that promised the restoration of the vanishing buffalo herds and the old way of life. The dancer (Michael Greyeyes) assumes different forms as he finds his way through memories and visions; some are apocalyptic and full of dread, while others, like the Anishinaabe prophecy of the Eighth Fire are more hopeful and suggest a new beginning.