Surface Rites

A young Slovakian immigrant opens a uranium mine near Elliot Lake in northern Ontario, Canada, and later builds a massive replica of the modest church from his childhood village. Stranded amongst suburban streets named after prize-winning Holstein cows, now sits this monumental cathedral, unfinished and private. Teenage zombies emerge from lakes and rivers around Serpent River First Nation, once poisoned with uranium waste. There is talk of eugenics at a Holstein pageant, and a retired dairy farmer and his wife remember a recurring dream where their work is never done.

Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, and Ryan Ferko have worked in collaboration since 2013. Their shared practice explores the interplay of multiple subjectivities as a strategy to address the power inherent in narrative structures. Foregrounding the idea of place as a central focus, their work seeks both to decode their surroundings and to trouble the production of images through speculative narration and dialectical imagery. Shifting between both gallery and cinema contexts, recent projects have been presented internationally at the Viennale, Punto De Vista International Documentary Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and others.

Production Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko. Production company Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko (Toronto, Canada). Directed by Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko. Cinematography Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko. Editing Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko. Sound design Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko. Sound Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, Ryan Ferko.

Films

2015: Bunte Kuh (6 min.). 2017: Heart of a Mountain (5 min.). 2018: Chooka (20 min.), If All The Changes Quickly (18 min.). 2021: Charity, Canada, 360 video (35 min.), Surface Rites.