‘Ceremony,’ doc about Nuxalk fight for ancestral lands, to stream on Netflix

Netflix has secured the Canadian rights to an acclaimed documentary concerning a First Nation's battle to reclaim their ancestral lands. Titled "Ceremony," this film premiered at South by Southwest in March and will be available for streaming next year. Directed and produced by Banchi Hanuse, the documentary delves into the disappearance of the ooligan, a small fish colloquially referred to as candlefish, from Nuxalk territory.

The film posits a connection between the fish's decline and the simultaneous filing of a land claim, which coincided with the introduction of smallpox to the First Nation. Banchi Hanuse elaborated in a press release that crafting the story took her 12 years, and she anticipates its public debut to be the first time the Canadian public will hear her narrative.

The film has been honored with several accolades, including a Documentary Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW, a jury prize for Canadian feature documentaries at Hot Docs, and the First Nations Award at the Sydney Film Festival.