The Weight of Snow

A home movie of a trip to Chernobyl, a dying matriarch and a set of troubling personal circumstances, The Weight of Snow is an essay documenting memory, time and place. A film referencing the tradition of personal travelogue films of The Escarpment School and the essay style of Sans Soleil, The Weight of Snow travels from Canada to Chernobyl from the perspective of a young man exploring radiation in the midst of death, cancer and emotional turmoil. A collection of all techniques used throughout the Lion series, The Weight of Snow is the centerpiece of the work. Echoing the collage nature throughout the entire series, the work synthesizes travel footage, abstract imagery and memory footage to invite the audience to a journey few embark on. Filmed at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and surrounding area in Ukraine, The Weight of Snow offers a glimpse in to the world beyond the checkpoints of the exclusion zone. The full-length version of the Lion series is available through the CFMDC.