Haida Modern

Dir. Charles Wilkinson, 2019, BC, 85 minutes

The inspiring and beautiful story of famed Haida artist Robert Davidson in a documentary by Vancouver’s Charles Wilkinson. Born to a "vanishing race,” Robert became a key figure in the fight for survival of his people, a fight that deeply impacted Western culture.

Director in attendance.

“Here on the west coast pretty much everyone is touched by Robert’s work. Even if you don’t know Indigenous art and artists, we’re surrounded by it. It’s on the walls, the phone boxes, on T-shirts, jewellery, tattoos, on the protest signs and regalia at the frequent rallies in defence of the increasingly threatened natural world. It’s in the monumental displays that make YVR one of the top airports on the planet. 50 years ago it wasn’t like this. Outside of museums there was almost no sign of the advanced cultures that had lived here for millennia. So what happened?

Haida Modern finds out by following Robert Davidson to his native Haida Gwaii, Alaska, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, Austin Texas. We see Robert at work in his studio bringing forward the knowledge of the old masters into the 21st century. It’s a story full of laughter and tears. It’s an amazing story filled with hope and magic and the breathtaking beauty of the natural world Robert’s works spring from.” - Charles Wilkinson

“Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend.” - Vancouver International Film Festival