A poetic, experimental debut feature circling the origin of the death myth from the Chinookan people in the Pacific Northwest, małni – towards the ocean, towards the shore follows two people as they wander through their surrounding nature, the spirit world, and something much deeper inside. At its center are Sweetwater Sahme and Jordan Mercier, who take separate paths contemplating their afterlife, rebirth, and death. Probing questions about humanity’s place on earth and other worlds, Sky Hopkina’s film will have audiences thinking (and dreaming) about it long after.
- “Rapturous. Feels like a richly woven ghost story.”— Ela Bittencourt, Hyperallergic
- “Stunning. Hopinka’s use of color in Malni is nothing short of astonishing. One of the most awe-inspiring films I saw.”— Vikram Murthi, Rogerebert.com
- “Hopinka subtly inverts the tropes of the ethnographic documentary to depict indigenous life from an indigenous perspective.”— Cayley James, Cinema Scope
