Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild]
A documentary about the work of the alliance MACPRA, which works to return objects from museums, libraries and archives to the Indigenous tribes of Michigan.
The Michigan Anishinaabek Cultural Preservation and Repatriation Alliance (MACPRA) brings together some of the foremost specialists in repatriation. The work of returning cultural treasures to Indigenous communities after decades in the possession of museums and institutions is not only a legal and historical endeavour, but also a deeply personal and emotionally demanding process.
The film portrays the people behind this work with an essayistic and observational approach, where intimate fly-on-the-wall scenes offer insight into both the practical work and the emotional consequences of colonial plunder. The result is a quiet yet powerful documentary about grief, responsibility and resistance.
Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film has been acclaimed as a sharp reckoning with the worldview that legitimised the plundering of North America's Indigenous peoples – and which continues to shape institutions and power structures today.
USA, Denmark 2026
Original title: Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild]
Director: Adam Khalil & Zack Khalil
Duration: 1h 20m
Language: English & Anishinaabemowin
Subtitles: English
Age limit: 6 years
