Sophie is an astronaut training with a crew during a geology expedition in an abandoned open mine. The session is interrupted by an Atikamekw elder, who explains that they're training on his tribe's territory. Though the mission has permission to train on their land, the elder still won't leave. The interruption threatens to derail their training schedule but the elder is willing to let them continue training. He has one request: he wants them to deliver a message to the spirits of the moon, where his ancestors go after they pass away. Directed and written by Fernando Lopez Escriva and Maria Camila Arias, this transfixing short drama begins with a hypnotic opening sequence of an astronaut on a desolate surface in darkness.
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Shot with isolating darkness and a sense of scale emphasizing the vastness of the landscape, it captures the mystery and otherworldliness of outer space. But when a man scurries into view, the illusion of space is punctured, which reveals that they're not in space at all, but merely practicing for it on earth. The tension between illusion and reality is mirrored in the central conflict, as the astronaut trainee is confronted by the man, an Atikamekw elder. From his perspective, the mission is on his tribe's land, and though they have permission from a governing body, the elder still sees it as an incursion. The interruption brings out a mission official, and the two go back and forth on permission, logistics and other official matters. Caught in the middle is the astronaut, the only one who can communicate with the astronaut directly in their shared French language. Played by actor Larissa Corriveau with innate compassion and understanding, her rapport with the elder is more sympathetic, and she can understand on some level his values and perspective -- a contrast that the sharp writing draws to the official, who is focused more on bureaucracy and policy. As the elder, actor Jacques Newashish offers a sympathetic portrait of someone trying to preserve their heritage, even in the face of modernity. He's determined to give his ancestors a message, and finally, he works with the astronaut mission to deliver it. The meaning of that message is not given until the end of SOLEIL DE NUIT, adding another level of complexity to a striking, elegantly crafted film. There are moments of warmth and understanding, but there is also an underlying tension, a push and pull between how the elder understands his connection to the land and how the official understands it. The message offers an understanding of where this schism comes from, touching on a complex history with powerful simplicity and a sense of skepticism about the present and future.
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