Documentary backdrop image for Nosisim (2017)

Documentary backdrop image for Nosisim (2017)

201710 minGdoc-short

Indigenous Histories

Nosisim

201710 minGdoc-short

A drawing titled 'Virginia and Gladys' by Indigenous artist Daphne Odjig depicts Sonya Ballantyne's grandmother and mother after they lost their home.

Indigenous Histories

Genres

Director

Sonya Ballantyne

Synopsis

A drawing titled 'Virginia and Gladys' by Indigenous artist Daphne Odjig depicts Sonya Ballantyne's grandmother and mother after they lost their home.

People

Sonya Ballantynedirector

Sonya Ballantynewriter

Sonya Ballantynecast

Synopsis

Sonya Ballantyne examines a drawing titled 'Virginia and Gladys' by Indigenous artist Daphne Odjig. The artwork depicts Sonya's grandmother and mother, Virginia and Gladys George. It was created shortly after they lost their home due to a hydroelectric dam. Through this piece, Sonya learns about her family's traumatic history. The film runs for 10 minutes and was released in 2017.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises (2017)

Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises

2017•1h44m•★6.0TMDB

A 1926-born resident of Odanak recalls a time when families made baskets and canoes in their front yards, sharing meals and traditions without money.

Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises

The Deep River (2023)

The Deep River

Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River, serves as a backdrop for hosts Aaron Pedersen and Holly Ringland as they explore rock art and engage with writer Georgina Reid and artist Gavi Duncan.

The People of the Kattawapiska River (2019)

The People of the Kattawapiska River

Families in the Attawapiskat First Nation face extreme cold with wind chills reaching minus 40 to 50 degrees and lack basic necessities like running water.

The People of the Kattawapiska River

Three Indigenous Sisters And A Brother Meet For The First Time (2022)

Three Indigenous Sisters And A Brother Meet For The First Time

Four siblings, two sisters and a brother, meet for the first time after being separated for over 50 years due to the Sixties Scoop in Canada.

Three Indigenous Sisters And A Brother Meet For The First Time

Ikwe (2021)

Ikwe

In 1770, an Ojibwa girl named Ikwe marries a Scottish fur trader, leaving her home and facing the challenges of cultural conflict and personal isolation.

Incandescence (2025)

Incandescence

Wildfires in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley prompt Indigenous voices, firefighters, and evacuees to share their experiences and insights on fire stewardship and resilience.

Hands of History (2023)

Hands of History

Four contemporary Indigenous female artists share their practices and journeys, highlighting their essential role in bridging traditional and modern expressions.

Hands of History

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power (2026)

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power

Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a 15-year-old artist and activist from British Columbia, champions Indigenous rights and environmental protection through her music and speeches.

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power

Donna's Story (2017)

Donna's Story

A Cree woman transforms her life from homelessness to becoming a powerful advocate for Aboriginal adults and youth facing abuse and addiction.

MotherBoard (2011)

MotherBoard

Britannia Manor, an elaborate house, embodies the teenage fantasies of various boyhood archetypes through its unique design and imaginative features.

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology (2022)

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology

Ancient Mayan civilization, once governed by astronomer-priests, is examined through the lens of Yuri Knorosov's breakthrough in deciphering their hieroglyphic writing.

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age (2025)

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age

Viking women played a crucial role in society, as evidenced by archaeological findings from the Oseberg burial and their unique legal rights in Medieval Europe.

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age

Explore Nosisim

Cast & Crew Topics FAQ

Where else to watch

Incandescence (2025)

Incandescence

Wildfires in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley prompt Indigenous voices, firefighters, and evacuees to share their experiences and insights on fire stewardship and resilience.

No digital watch option in your country

The Scattering of Man (2021)

The Scattering of Man

2021•1h15m•★10.0TMDB

Built in 1968, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam flooded vast territories, impacting the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation for generations.

The Scattering of Man

After the Last River (2015)

After the Last River

2015•1h26m•★6.0TMDB

A hunger strike by chief Theresa Spence in 2012 brought national attention to the humanitarian crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation.

After the Last River

Audrey Napanangka (2023)

Audrey Napanangka

2023•1h25m•★8.0TMDB

Over a decade, intimate footage captures the life of Warlpiri woman Audrey as she raises children in colonial Australia.

Audrey Napanangka

Our Nationhood (2003)

Our Nationhood

2003•1h37m•★7.0TMDB

The Listuguj Mi'kmaq people received the Best Managed River award from the government that once denied their traditional rights.

In My Blood It Runs (2019)

In My Blood It Runs

2019•1h25m•★8.0TMDB

A 10-year-old Aboriginal boy from Alice Springs faces the challenges of balancing his cultural heritage with the demands of a state education system.

In My Blood It Runs

Iwianch, the Devil Deer (2021)

Iwianch, the Devil Deer

2021•1h34m•★6.0TMDB

A Shaman enters a trance to reveal that an Achuar teenager has been taken by the devil in the depths of the Amazon rainforest.

Iwianch, the Devil Deer

Browse more like this

The Deep River (2023)

The Deep River

Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River, serves as a backdrop for hosts Aaron Pedersen and Holly Ringland as they explore rock art and engage with writer Georgina Reid and artist Gavi Duncan.

No digital watch option in your country

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power (2026)

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power

Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a 15-year-old artist and activist from British Columbia, champions Indigenous rights and environmental protection through her music and speeches.

The New Generation Reclaiming Indigenous Pride And Power

No digital watch option in your country

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology (2022)

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology

Ancient Mayan civilization, once governed by astronomer-priests, is examined through the lens of Yuri Knorosov's breakthrough in deciphering their hieroglyphic writing.

The Ancient Mayans: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? | Archaeology

No digital watch option in your country

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age (2025)

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age

Viking women played a crucial role in society, as evidenced by archaeological findings from the Oseberg burial and their unique legal rights in Medieval Europe.

The Brutal Reality Of Daily Life In The Viking Age

No digital watch option in your country

Draw for Change: Tree of Violence (2024)

Draw for Change: Tree of Violence

2024•1h21m•★8.0TMDB

Victoria Lomasko, a Russian artist exiled in 2022, creates a mural project connecting domestic and state-sponsored violence in Russia.

Draw for Change: Tree of Violence

Grandma's Tattoo (2011)

Grandma's Tattoo

2011•46m•★10.0TMDB

90,819 Armenian girls and children were rescued by Allied forces in 1919 after enduring forced prostitution and arranged marriages during the genocide.

Grandma's Tattoo

Anna (1997)

Anna

1997•58m•★6.0TMDB

One woman from the Nganasan, an indigenous group in Russia's Taymyr Peninsula, faces the challenges of preserving her culture in a changing world.

Losing Sonia (2012)

Losing Sonia

2012•50m•★6.0TMDB

Sonia spends her nights painting icons while caring for her dog, cats, and exotic birds in a monastery filled with life and artistic expression.

Blak Douglas vs The Commonwealth (2023)

Blak Douglas vs The Commonwealth

One artist traces his grandmother's life from the Cootamundra Girls Home, where she was stripped of her name, language, and culture.

Blak Douglas vs The Commonwealth

Des nouvelles du Nord (2007)

Des nouvelles du Nord

More than 1,000 kilometers northwest of Montreal, the James Bay project transformed the lives of residents in Radisson and Chisasibi in the 1970s.

Des nouvelles du Nord

Browse more by Sonya Ballantyne

View all films →

The Death Tour (2023)

The Death Tour

2023

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →