Prince Rupert Arts Council Movie Series:

SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS is a feature documentary that traces the storied journey of Indigenous masks from the far reaches of Turtle Island (North America) into the hands of European Surrealists, influencing the work and worldview of some of the most well-known modern artists and writers of all time including Max Ernst, André Breton and Joan Miro - all while following the dramatic efforts to return a ceremonial mask that was brutally stolen from the Kwakwaka'wakw people on Canada's northwest coast over a century ago.

Part caper, part road trip, part spiritual journey, SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS follows award-winning Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (Reel Injun, Red Fever) as he travels coast-to-coast and across the Atlantic and back, gradually piecing together this groundbreaking global story of influence, reconnection and hopeful restitution.

Shot in Surrealistic style featuring interviews with renowned Indigenous artists along with eccentric art dealers and Surrealist scholars, SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS is a compelling detective story that brings audiences into the complex world of repatriation, while revealing the original meanings and importance of these ceremonial masks and how they came to impact one of the most iconic art movements of our time - a cultural practice that continues to resonate through the profound work of contemporary Indigenous artists today.