ZEDNA

Mikisoq Hove Lynge, Wiebe van der Vliet, David Adler / Greenland, Denmark, Netherlands / 2023

“Zedna” is a feature VR documentary film, an investigation of the process of decolonization and of broken identities. An experience and relevant voice in the ongoing debate on colonialism.

The film re-tells ancient inuit myths in an immersive environment. Is there still relevance to these age-old tales in a time where we communicate in 40-character tweets? Can we still draw wisdom from our myths in our modern globalized society ruled by corporate giants where the new frontier is space at which we eagerly look to replenish our depleting resources? In a dialogue with both old and young Greenlandic people and through the director’s personal journey, the film creates a visual immersion into modern and ancient inuit culture and values. Together they discuss what it means to be Greenlandic and Inuit in 2023. The experience shows a scene in one half of the audience’s view and an apposing scene in the opposite direction. This simple but effective juxtaposition of narrative elements speaks directly to the theme of the project and evolves into complexity like its subject. The documentary also juxtaposes historical cruelty and suppression with the personal experiences of its participants. Central to the project is the will and drive towards forming a new identity. An identity based on an awareness of the past but also open toward the future. The experience plays to the strengths of VR storytelling, the landscape, and the personal story in both the vastness and the intimacy.