So Surreal: Behind The Masks

So Surreal: Behind The Masks June 2, 2025

Part detective story and part illuminating history, Behind the Masks is a must-see for anyone who loves art, culture, and entertaining docs.

"In the art market, ceremonial Indigenous masks have always been seen as relics and commodities - bought, sold, and collected by any means in order to profit from them further. But to the Yup’ik, Kwakwaka’wakw, and other Indigenous peoples, these masks act as vessels to the spirit world and translators of the supernatural, existing beyond our reality. In So Surreal: Behind the Masks, we follow Cree co-director Neil Diamond as he uncovers the mystery and history behind the collecting of these so-called art pieces.

Through his inquiries and research, Diamond discovers that many of these masks ended up in France after World War II, as many of the Surrealists took them back there after living in exile in the United States. What follows are tense conversations around repatriation and where these masks truly belong. Questions about value, ownership, and the purpose of these sacred objects persist. While some have had their spirits sung back into their home, others remain locked away in collections, known and unknown." (Victoria Film Festival)

With dreamy Surrealist imagery interspersed with Yup’ik dancers in masks, interviews with current-day carvers and art experts, and one particularly arresting scene in the Louvre with Yup’ik artist, storyteller, and dancer Chuna McIntyre, this doc masterfully weaves together the threads of a remarkable convergence of cultural and artistic histories.

Canada | 2024 | 88m | English Directors: Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson Featuring: Neil Diamond, Bill Cranmer, Juanita Johnston