CONNECTIVITY THROUGH CINEMA PRESENTS:
Levers & Early Shorts by Rhayne Vermette *

Levers (2025), will be preceded by three of her short films that similarly turn our attention to the sky and the phenomena that comprise and pass through it with Rhayne Vermette * IN PERSON *
FRIDAY APRIL 24TH 2026 @ MONO NO AWARE : CINEMA ARTS NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
33 FLATBUSH AVENUE, BROOKLYN NEW YORK - LIMITED ATTENDANCE TO 40 - MASKS AVAILABLE
DOORS 7 PM – STARTS PROMPTLY AT 7:30PM – FREE OR $5 SUGGESTED DONATION

TRT, 101 minutes. Additional time for discussion / Q & A with Rhayne Vermette *IN PERSON *

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
From an old CRT television set, a reporter’s voice proclaims: “The sun will not rise.” Worldwide, people huddle around the warm glow of their screens, anxiously awaiting the return of that old star. In other words: the light has gone out, and it’s unclear whether it’ll return. Shot on broken Bolex cameras and richly saturated 16mm film, Rhayne Vermette’s second feature observes this existential moment as experienced in Manitoba’s Red River Valley. Mysterious events unfold, weaving together the lives of a sculptor, a security guard, and an intrepid civil servant. Made with in-camera FX and in close collaboration with members of her local Métis community, Levers offers an exploration of communal mourning through a striking, singular alchemy of surrealism, fantasy, abstraction, and the mundane.

Levers will be preceded by three of Vermette’s short films that indicate the filmmaker’s longstanding interest in the sky and the phenomena that comprise and pass through it.

Curated by Jac Renée Bruneau

PROGRAM:
Tudor Village, Rhayne Vermette 
digital | color | digital sound | 6 min | 2012 | MANITOBA, CANADA

U.F.O., Rhayne Vermette 
digital | color | digital sound | 1 min | 2016 | MANITOBA, CANADA

Letter 03, Rhayne Vermette 
digital | color | digital sound | 2.5 min | 2022 | MANITOBA, CANADA

Levers, Rhayne Vermette 
digital | color | digital sound | 92 min | 2025 | MANITOBA, CANADA

Total duration: 101 approx.

Bio
Primarily self-taught, Rhayne Vermette’s work emphasizes an interference of image through collage, photography and analog filmmaking. Themes of place, time and rhythm are expressed through opulent layers of fiction, animation, reenactments and divine interruption. Deeply rooted in Manitoba, Rhayne frequently enlists the talent of her loved ones and community in the making of her films. Ste. Anne (2021), Rhayne’s first feature narrative featuring some of her own family members from Ste. Anne, Manitoba, received critical acclaim and accrued a number of accolades including TIFF’s Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. In 2024, Rhayne was shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award, Canada’s preeminent prize for contemporary visual artists. Rhéanne (Rhayne) Vermette was born to parents Jacqueline Deroche and Roger Vermette in Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba. Roger Vermette was born in St. Boniface and raised in Ste. Anne, Manitoba, a community historically settled by Métis and FrenchCanadians. His father, Joseph Vermette, was born in St. Norbert, Manitoba and died in Richer, Manitoba. His father before him, Jean Vermette, was also born in St. Norbert, a significant Red River Métis community, and passed in Richer, Manitoba.

MONO NO AWARE SCREENING SERIES:
The CONNECTIVITY THROUGH CINEMA series will present the work of artists, film-makers and curators who are traveling or presenting special interactive programs in-person. Our hope is to engage the community by showing work with a focus on post-screening discussion. This series is made possible by support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).