Film FAQ

The Eternal Song emerged from a deep calling to bear witness to both the wounds of colonization and the powerful ancestral wisdom that continues to guide Indigenous communities toward healing. Over two years, our journey took us across sacred lands where we encountered stories of profound suffering, injustice, and beauty alongside remarkable resilience.

We created this film series as a response to the historical amnesia that pervades our modern world—a world increasingly disconnected from nature, from each other, and from ancestral knowledge. We believe the Indigenous voices offer vital medicine for our fractured times, helping us all to remember our fundamental kinship with Mother Earth and to reawaken to the eternal song of existence that calls us back to belonging.

This project is our humble contribution to a necessary global conversation about how we might collectively heal from historical traumas and remember, reimagine our place in the sacred web of life.

The trust we received from thirteen Indigenous cultures across twelve locations worldwide is something we hold with profound reverence and responsibility. This trust wasn’t granted overnight but cultivated through respectful engagement, active listening, and a genuine commitment to honoring each community’s protocols and wisdom.

Before any cameras rolled, we spent significant time building relationships, participating in what was asked of us in terms of ceremony, offerings, sharing our intentions, and most importantly, listening to what each community felt was important for them to share. We approached each culture as students rather than experts, allowing community elders and knowledge keepers to guide us in how their stories should be told.

Each testimony shared with us is a sacred gift. The people who opened their hearts did so because they recognized the urgency of their message for humanity’s collective future. They entrusted us with their stories not only to document their experiences but to help carry their wisdom to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

In producing The Eternal Song series, SAND has been invited into relationship with Indigenous communities who have shared their time, stories, knowledge, and presence. We are committed to living into the spirit of the gift and practicing reciprocity with communities over time.

From the beginning, this has meant entering communities with permission, care, and ongoing support throughout production and post-production. We respond to what communities ask of us, whether that means bringing blankets or cameras, resources or presence.

As part of this ongoing practice of reciprocity, SAND commits to distributing at least $10,000–$15,000 to Indigenous communities and initiatives featured in each film. This amount is made up of audience donations, with SAND contributing any remaining amount to meet this commitment. If contributions exceed $15,000 for a given film, additional funds are shared across partner communities based on evolving needs and relationships. 

We invite you to walk in this spirit of reciprocity by offering what you can and honoring the gifts that have been shared. 

https://theeternalsong.org/reciprocity/

The Eternal Song offers multiple ways to experience this journey:

The Complete Journey: The full project consists of one main feature film (approximately 90 minutes) that frames the overarching themes and connects all stories, plus twelve additional feature-length films (60-120 minutes each) dedicated to exploring each location and culture in depth.

Viewing Options:

• Select theaters will host special screenings of the main feature film throughout 2025
• Digital streaming access to both the main feature and all individual cultural segments on our website
• Community screening packages for educational institutions, community centers, and organizations
• Special event screenings with filmmaker Q&As (schedule available on our website)

For the most immersive experience, we recommend watching the main feature first, followed by exploring the individual cultural segments that most resonate with you. Each segment stands on its own while also enriching the collective narrative.

Sharing The Eternal Song is an important way to extend its healing impact.

Here are ways you can help these vital stories reach more people:

Spread the Word: Follow us on social media and share our content with your networks. Personal recommendations remain the most powerful way to help others discover these stories.

Host a Community Screening: After July 1st the film will be available through Kinema, people can start to reserve starting June 3rd here. We offer special licenses for community screenings at schools, places of worship, community centers, and other gathering spaces. Our website provides a simple application process and resources to help make your screening meaningful.

Educational Use: Teachers and professors can access our educational materials and abbreviated versions tailored for classroom use, complete with discussion guides and learning activities.

Support Indigenous Causes: On our website, we provide information about each featured community and ways to directly support their ongoing work and initiatives.

Engage in Dialogue: Perhaps the most important way to share this film is through meaningful conversation. We encourage viewers to create spaces for reflection and discussion about the film’s themes and how they relate to our collective healing journey.

Remember that sharing these stories comes with responsibility. We invite you to approach them with the same reverence with which they were shared with us, and to honor the communities who have entrusted us all with their wisdom.

The project is composed of one main feature film framing the theme and connecting all stories plus 11 other feature films, each 60 to 120 minutes, immersing the viewer in each specific location.

We filmed in 2022 and 2023 across these Indigenous territories: Esk’etemculcw, Gitxsan Laxyip, Haida Gwaii, Wet’suwet’en (Canada), Diné Bikéyah (Arizona/New Mexico), Mokupuni Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Bundjalung, Wiradjuri, Ngemba, Githabul (Australia), Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), Tsenacomoco (Virginia), Guarani Kaiowa and Munduruku (Brazil), Olosho le Maa (Kenya).

50% of proceeds after production costs directly fund Indigenous-led initiatives in the communities where we filmed.

• Global: Training fund for young Indigenous filmmakers
• Arizona: Language and cultural programs at Little Singer School (Diné)
• Brazil: Restoration of traditional Guarani Kaiowá crops in areas affected by monoculture
• Canada: The Esk’etemc First Nation Letwilc Recovery Program
• Greenland: Inuit healing center in Nuuk
• Kenya: Healing sanctuary for at-risk Maasai women