A National Film Board of Canada Production
How big is time? On the remote Canadian island of Texada, the everyday existence of human life—work, play and dreams—is juxtaposed with the tectonic shifts of the planet rising and falling in cyclical patterns of creation, extinction and renewal. In this impressionistic VR project, co-directors Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson merge 360-degree live-action footage, captured across the island mining community, with 3D animation of geologic upheaval to create an immersive, poetic experience.
Real and imagined landscapes document a journey through the Earth’s formation to the current moment: twinned streams of existence mixing and mingling in an ever-changing flow. As geologic forces continue to unfold, the only constant is transformation. Yet amongst the great heave of history, glimpses of temporal beauty, like finding beautiful stones on a beach, help us understand our place in the universe.
How big is time?
On the remote Canadian island of Texada, the everyday stuff of human existence—work, play and dreams—is juxtaposed against the tectonic shifts of the planet, rising and falling in cyclical patterns of creation, extinction and renewal.
In this impressionistic VR project, co-directors Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson merge 360-degree live-action footage, captured across the island, with 3D animation of geologic upheaval to create an immersive, poetic experience. A chorus of residents’ voices ebbs and flows, unravelling the complexities of the surrounding limestone that is central to the community and economy of the island. Present in everything from toothpaste to the great Pyramids of Egypt, this humble yet ubiquitous rock is a critical element in the construction of our modern society.
Texada is about rocks, people and time—the head-spinning vastness of terrestrial epochs contrasted with the immediacy of day-to-day human experience. Real and imagined landscapes document a journey from the Earth’s formation to the current moment: twinned streams of existence mixing and mingling in an ever-changing flow. As geologic forces continue to unfold, the only constant is transformation. Yet amongst the great heave of history, glimpses of temporal beauty, like discovering beautiful stones on a beach, help us understand our place in the universe.
One-liner
Immersive animation of ancient geologic upheaval combines with 360 video from a present-day mining community in this poetic VR experience.
Two-liner
How big is time? This impressionistic VR project combines 360-degree live-action vistas, filmed across the mining community of Texada, with 3D animation of geologic upheaval to create an immersive, poetic experience.
Written & Directed by
Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson
Featuring
Michael Sanford
Jacob Robert
Deniece Sulyma
With the Participation of
Sarah Bond
Mike Cocchrane
Ava Gordon
Jewels Goforth Smullin
Alivia Gussman
Peder Norbygaard
Dale Robertson
Carole Robertson
Dean Robertson
Morgan Robertson
Carlie Robertson
Paige Spence
Peter Stiles
Arleen Suen
Ted Thomson
Darren Zant
Producers
Nicholas Klassen
Dana Dansereau
Executive Producer
Rob McLaughlin
Project Manager
Jasmine Pullukatt
Technical Director
Vincent McCurley
Developer
Charm Games
Alan Jernigan – Studio Director
Will Phillips – Art Director
Matt Austin – Technical Lead
Cory S Hawthorne – Audio Lead
Derek Young – Creative Director
Dinos Tsiknis – Technical Director
Isabelle Rash – Operations Manager
Cinematographers
Claire Sanford
Josephine Anderson
Sound Recordists
Claire Sanford
Josephine Anderson
Sound Designer
Hanna Matahri
Music
Elori Saxl
Creative Consultant
Jonny Ostrem
Story Consultant
Jessica Dymond
Colour Grading
Elemental Post
Graphic Designer
Kara Blake
Studio Operations Managers
Camille Fillion
Janine Steele
Studio Administrator
Victoria Angell
XR Distribution and Market Development
Tammy Peddle
Marketing Coordinator
Julie Fortin
Publicist
Katja De Bock
Legal Services
Peter Kallianiotis
Many Thanks to
Comox Valley Art Gallery Curated Residency Program
Special Thanks to
Karen Vanderborght
Faron Gallier
Winston Lanyon
Mark Dolmont
Sacha Ratcliffe
Angela Somerset
Denise Lawson
Glen Sanford
Selina Crammond
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Tony Massil
Olivia McGilchrist
Nicolas Ayerbe Barona
Teri Snelgrove
Annabella Stoll-Dansereau
Stephanie Reed
Peter Lock
Julie Clarke
Scott Bainbridge
Amira Abouelalla
Leena Minifie
Rosemary & Max Anderson
Lisa Blackwell
Daniel Anderson
Matthew Anderson
Christopher Anderson
Bryan Marthaler
Freja Marthaler
Deborah Dumka
Hannah Sanford
Sophie Sanford
Mike Sanford
Doug Dumka
Charlotte Meredith
Kim George
Fox George-Sanford
NOTE FROM THE DIRECTORS
We are fortunate to have grown up at the edge of the Salish Sea, with its mountains and valleys, its cedars, firs and sword ferns, its black-tailed deer, whiskered seals and bioluminescent tides. The memories of our earliest childhood wonders reside here, alongside those of generations who called the region home long before our parents and grandparents arrived on its shores.
It also holds the stories of multigenerational pains and cruelties. All of these threads are interwoven, and our vantage is but one in the grand expanse of time. For many thousands of years, Texada Island has been home and host to the Tla’amin, shíshálh and K’ómoks peoples. We are deeply grateful to those with whom we share this place.
© 2023 National Film Board of Canada