10 · 19 · 26

AANIKOOBIJIGAN [ANCESTOR / GREAT-GRANDPARENT / GREAT-GRANDCHILD] by Zack and Adam Khalil at the 24th FICM

Omar Sosa

The documentary Aanikoobijigan [ancestor / great-grandparent / great-grandchild] (2026, Dir. Zack Khalil, Adam Khalil), winner of the Audience Award in the NEXT section at the past Sundance Film Festival, was presented during the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). This screening marked the debut of the documentary’s Spanish-language version.

The film chronicles the efforts of the Anishinaabe people to repatriate the human remains of their ancestors—currently held in museums and libraries—to their rightful burial grounds. Filming took place primarily in the state of Michigan, the filmmakers' home state and the site of 15 federally recognized Native tribes.

The screening was introduced by Óscar Arce Naranjo, a member of the FICM’s fiction short film selection committee, and Steve Holmgren, the film’s producer. "[The documentary] shows us this side of Anglo-Saxon colonialism in the United States" and the process of erasing what existed before, remarked Arce Naranjo.

Following the screening, the audience had the opportunity to participate in a brief Q&A session with the American producer, who was joined by the film’s co-producer, Nadia Rubalcava. “Thank you so much for being here. It took us 10 years to make this film,” Holmgren commented.

Holmgren highlighted the horizontal, collaborative approach used to develop the project—a dynamic that allowed the team to earn the respect and trust of the Native communities. "We began attending meetings and working alongside them; the community members realized what we intended to do, saw that we truly cared, and recognized that we were being respectful. Consequently, they welcomed us to stay, and the project evolved quite naturally," he added.