«Elephants & Squirrels» at Hot Docs in Toronto
March 26, 2026
In May, «Elephants & Squirrels» by Gregor Brändli will be presented at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America’s leading doc fest: Here’s the schedule. «In the silence and sterility of Swiss museum archives, Sri Lankan artist Deneth Piumakshi Veda Arachchige uncovers a haunting legacy of colonial extraction hidden within rows of wooden cabinets. This provocative documentary follows her journey as she traces the expeditions of naturalists who «collected» sacred artifacts and human remains from Indigenous Adivasi communities under the guise of scientific progress. By placing the artist at the centre of this investigative narrative, Elephants & Squirrels argues that the Eurocentric pretensions of the past continue to dictate bureaucratic ownership of the present. The story evolves into a high-stakes battle for restitution, as Adivasi representatives challenge the Global North’s rigid refusal to return what has been stolen. The film’s unsettling clarity exposes the deep colonial entanglements of a nation that claims neutrality while benefiting from empire, ultimately serving as a powerful meditation on the ethics of curation and the necessity of historical healing.» (Gugi Gumilang, Hot Docs).
