Aanikoobijigan at Speed Cinema
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild]
Directed by Adam Khalil and Zack Khalil
Wednesday, November 11, 6 pm CINEMA + | BUY TICKETS
$12 | $8 Speed members | Free for college students with valid I.D.
“At once a decry of the disregard the world has put on Native American bodies and a celebration of traditions that invite us to consider how we might commune with those who’ve long since passed.”—Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
Aanikoobijigan examines the ongoing struggle to repatriate Indigenous ancestors' remains from museums and archives. Following Adam and Zack Khalil (Ojibway) alongside elders and MACPRA (Michigan Anishinaabek Cultural Preservation and Repatriation Alliance) members, the film exposes the thin line between archaeology and grave robbery.
Through striking visuals and grounded Indigenous perspectives, it challenges institutional resistance to decolonization and affirms that returning ancestors to the earth restores memory, dignity, and balance, reminding us that no community can be whole until their ancestors are finally laid to rest. A selection of the Sundance Film Festival. 2026, U.S./Denmark, DCP, 80 minutes. Recommended for 15+
CINEMA + with a post-screening discussion featuring Sirene Martin, Speed Assistant Curator and NAGPRA Coordinator, as well as Chester Whiteman and Fred Mosqueda, representatives of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes who received 24 Indigenous repatriated objects from the Speed in August 2026 who will join by Zoom.
Image credit: Courtesy of The Film Collaborative
