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Proud to share that our new film RE:COLLECTION has been selected as one of 11 Spotlighted Projects at @cannes.docs 2026, part of the @marchedufilm at the Festival de Cannes. ❤️‍🔥

RE:COLLECTION is currently in early production, and we’ll be presenting the project to the international documentary community this May in Cannes !!

Big than you to the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF) @nfvfsa for their support.

#CannesDocs #MarcheDuFilm #Cannes2026
#DocumentaryFilm #NFVF

Image by: @mickywiswedel

STREAM !AITSA ONLINE at www.medcine.dk
————————

Trailer edit: @lekka_splicey
#AITSA #documentary #cphdox #premiere #medcine #film #trailer #karoo #southafrica #ska

≠2022 comes to an end and so does the 5 year long project of my debut feature film titled !AITSA.

This film takes place in the same region as where I grew up, The Karoo. Seven generations of my family have lived and found identity in The Karoo. They have found their divine understanding of the universe from here and is now where I try to find mine.

My work always aims to heal. I work with the medicinal plant biomes from The Karoo and have a deep connection to the people, energies and powers of the earth that correlate here. As a curious storyteller I am deeply fascinated by the parallel stories observed here, where one can see both science and spirit exploring deep into time and space.

I made !AITSA as an exploration about mankind trying to understand our place in the universe through exploring the place where we collectively originate from as humans.

To explore different human interpretations of what life is and where we are, beyond that, what the act of finding out is doing to us.

When you are from somewhere, you seldom know the beauty that is right in front of you, like an artwork you grew up with hanging in your parents house, it takes something special to make you take a closer look at it. This film is intended to be that special something.

More about the film and it's exciting world premiere will be announced as soon as I am allowed ;)

A massive thank you to everyone that has been on this journey with me 🤍#documentary #film #thekaroo #science #spirit #southafrica #denmark #filmværkstedet #medcine #filmmaking #poster #design #faith47

Chief Petrus Vaalbooi is 81 years old and has led the ‡Khomani San since 2018. His activism began decades earlier, as part of the successful efforts to reclaim ancestral land in the Kalahari. For years, he has fought for the return of his ancestors’ remains - stolen from their graves, studied, and held in museums far from home.

@_med_cine film: re:collection - follows this ongoing journey of return.

A respected elder and spiritual leader, Petrus works to restore knowledge systems and dignity for his people, who continue to face marginalisation.. He moves between worlds, challenging formal structures while remaining deeply rooted in the spirit of the land.

He invited us to witness the return of the ancestors.

• = Image by @mickywiswedel

UNBURIED is our new podcast series about science, race, and the stolen dead. It starts in colonial South Africa and uncovers a global story of ancestral human remains stolen — and the fight to bring them home.

@re_collection_org @arc_docs @_med_cine

🎧 First episode out soon
🔗 arcdocs.org

#recollection #history#podcasts #documentary #untoldhistory #hiddenhistory #indigenousvoices #unburiedpodcast

THE TIME HAS COME
After an incredible festival run, !AITSA is finally coming to you! 🎬 Streaming worldwide from — February 27th —

A huge thank you to all the festivals, awards, juries, and audiences. It’s been an incredible ride.

Set a reminder - 27th FEB 🦂

#AITSA #MEDCINE #Documentary #FilmRelease #Awardwinning

!AITSA - ‘The ancient knowledge of indigenous peoples challenges high-tech science in a near-cosmic tale from a South African desert where the world’s largest radio telescope is being built with antennae aimed at the far corners of the universe.’

Notes from Simon:
Scoring this film was a deeply personal process, and a pivotal one. With Director Dane Dodds’ wholehearted trust—and many years of ‘tuning me up to the project’—I was able to approach the creation process with clarity and openness. In the end, despite the early formations already being present, I decided to create the music separately from the film footage, in a flurry of productivity. Serendipitously, everything generated aptly resonated with the film’s core themes. Edit and music then became true collaborators, with @maasenfilm & @danedodds masterfully weaving all kinds of magic.

The entire score was created solely from a handful of lithophone field recordings, sourced during rock gong excursions with the ‘force field’ that is @neilrusch & @amy.rusch (and @bee_bee_lee_ ). This extreme limitation led to a remarkably original result. More on this at some point in the future.

The film has gone on to collect awards from around the globe, notably at @bigskydocfest, @durbaninternationalfilmfest , @parnufilmfestival @planetinfocus and has won three awards at @worldfilmfestivalincannes, including Best Composer.

Producer: @clarasolvsteen , Dane Dodds
Director: Dane Dodds
Production House: @_med_cine
Executive Producer: @enostabell

Cinematographer: @fire.water.fire , Dane Dodds
Editor: Marte Aasen
Music: Simon Kohler
VFX: @brunoedelman
Preliminary Stereo Mix and SFX: Simon Kohler
5.1 Mix and SFX: @davidhoustonsound

#!Aitsa
#FeatureDocumentary
#FieldAudio
#SoundDesign
#MusicProductionStudio
#SoundToPictureAgency

During April’s pink full moon 🌕 @_med_cine and @sunshinecinema screened !AITSA to 2 incredible audiences in both Carnarvon & Bradvlei. After these screenings, Astro-guides from @saraoweb were ready with telescopes and stories. 🔭 The Astro-guides are trained in astronomy and indigenous stories of the night sky. 🔭

!AITSA OUTREACH

Screening partners: @skaobservatory @saraoweb @sunshinecinema 🍿
📸 - @danedodds @amy.rusch

@neilrusch @lekka_splicey @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @rasmusbitsch @docfilmsa @izikomuseumssa Museums @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet @ayanda_kondlo @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @brandoneckardt

During April’s pink full moon 🌕 @_med_cine and @sunshinecinema screened !AITSA to 2 incredible audiences in both Carnarvon & Bradvlei. After these screenings, Astro-guides from @saraoweb were ready with telescopes and stories. 🔭 The Astro-guides are trained in astronomy and indigenous stories of the night sky. 🔭

!AITSA OUTREACH

Screening partners: @skaobservatory @saraoweb @sunshinecinema 🍿
📸 - @danedodds @amy.rusch

@neilrusch @lekka_splicey @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @rasmusbitsch @docfilmsa @izikomuseumssa Museums @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet @ayanda_kondlo @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @brandoneckardt

During April’s pink full moon 🌕 @_med_cine and @sunshinecinema screened !AITSA to 2 incredible audiences in both Carnarvon & Bradvlei. After these screenings, Astro-guides from @saraoweb were ready with telescopes and stories. 🔭 The Astro-guides are trained in astronomy and indigenous stories of the night sky. 🔭

!AITSA OUTREACH

Screening partners: @skaobservatory @saraoweb @sunshinecinema 🍿
📸 - @danedodds @amy.rusch

@neilrusch @lekka_splicey @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @rasmusbitsch @docfilmsa @izikomuseumssa Museums @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet @ayanda_kondlo @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @brandoneckardt

During April’s pink full moon 🌕 @_med_cine and @sunshinecinema screened !AITSA to 2 incredible audiences in both Carnarvon & Bradvlei. After these screenings, Astro-guides from @saraoweb were ready with telescopes and stories. 🔭 The Astro-guides are trained in astronomy and indigenous stories of the night sky. 🔭

!AITSA OUTREACH

Screening partners: @skaobservatory @saraoweb @sunshinecinema 🍿
📸 - @danedodds @amy.rusch

@neilrusch @lekka_splicey @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @rasmusbitsch @docfilmsa @izikomuseumssa Museums @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet @ayanda_kondlo @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @brandoneckardt

During April’s pink full moon 🌕 @_med_cine and @sunshinecinema screened !AITSA to 2 incredible audiences in both Carnarvon & Bradvlei. After these screenings, Astro-guides from @saraoweb were ready with telescopes and stories. 🔭 The Astro-guides are trained in astronomy and indigenous stories of the night sky. 🔭

!AITSA OUTREACH

Screening partners: @skaobservatory @saraoweb @sunshinecinema 🍿
📸 - @danedodds @amy.rusch

@neilrusch @lekka_splicey @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @rasmusbitsch @docfilmsa @izikomuseumssa Museums @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet @ayanda_kondlo @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @brandoneckardt

Outdoor screening at Andriesvale, Kalahari⚡️ During the film screening we were surrounded by lightning across the horizon ≠ As the film ended, the dry desert welcomed a phenomenal thunder storm - not seen by this land for a long time. Leaders in the community shared with us that the film brought on the rain. That this was a blessing by the ancestors.

!AITSA OUTREACH

📸 - @danedodds

@sunshinecinema @neilrusch @amy.rusch @lekka_splicey @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @makhulu_ @sydellewillowsmith @brandoneckardt @ayanda_kondlo @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @docfilmsa @rasmusbitsch @skaobservatory @saraoweb @izikomuseumssa @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet

Outdoor screening at Andriesvale, Kalahari⚡️ During the film screening we were surrounded by lightning across the horizon ≠ As the film ended, the dry desert welcomed a phenomenal thunder storm - not seen by this land for a long time. Leaders in the community shared with us that the film brought on the rain. That this was a blessing by the ancestors.

!AITSA OUTREACH

📸 - @danedodds

@sunshinecinema @neilrusch @amy.rusch @lekka_splicey @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @makhulu_ @sydellewillowsmith @brandoneckardt @ayanda_kondlo @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @docfilmsa @rasmusbitsch @skaobservatory @saraoweb @izikomuseumssa @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet

Outdoor screening at Andriesvale, Kalahari⚡️ During the film screening we were surrounded by lightning across the horizon ≠ As the film ended, the dry desert welcomed a phenomenal thunder storm - not seen by this land for a long time. Leaders in the community shared with us that the film brought on the rain. That this was a blessing by the ancestors.

!AITSA OUTREACH

📸 - @danedodds

@sunshinecinema @neilrusch @amy.rusch @lekka_splicey @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @makhulu_ @sydellewillowsmith @brandoneckardt @ayanda_kondlo @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @docfilmsa @rasmusbitsch @skaobservatory @saraoweb @izikomuseumssa @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet

Outdoor screening at Andriesvale, Kalahari⚡️ During the film screening we were surrounded by lightning across the horizon ≠ As the film ended, the dry desert welcomed a phenomenal thunder storm - not seen by this land for a long time. Leaders in the community shared with us that the film brought on the rain. That this was a blessing by the ancestors.

!AITSA OUTREACH

📸 - @danedodds

@sunshinecinema @neilrusch @amy.rusch @lekka_splicey @shan__free @climbmountainstoseetheworld @makhulu_ @sydellewillowsmith @brandoneckardt @ayanda_kondlo @clarasolvsteen @enostabell @docfilmsa @rasmusbitsch @skaobservatory @saraoweb @izikomuseumssa @bigidia @filmvaerkstedet

@silvan_sikohler preforming the groundbreaking soundtrack he created for !AITSA in the surreal space of the Whale Well at @izikomuseumssa ≈ The performance formed apart of our launch event for the
!AITSA OUTREACH.

Globally there has been an overwhelming appreciation for the score created by Kohler / @field.audio 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨
The frequency from the dolerite ringing rocks bouncing off meteorites a stone through from the whales.

Massive thank you Simon Kohler and Andrew Aitchison from @a11agency for casting this sound web. 🔊

Here is a small preview of the OST: https://soundcloud.com/s_i_l_v_a_n/aitsa-film-ost-preview...

📸 credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@silvan_sikohler preforming the groundbreaking soundtrack he created for !AITSA in the surreal space of the Whale Well at @izikomuseumssa ≈ The performance formed apart of our launch event for the
!AITSA OUTREACH.

Globally there has been an overwhelming appreciation for the score created by Kohler / @field.audio 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨
The frequency from the dolerite ringing rocks bouncing off meteorites a stone through from the whales.

Massive thank you Simon Kohler and Andrew Aitchison from @a11agency for casting this sound web. 🔊

Here is a small preview of the OST: https://soundcloud.com/s_i_l_v_a_n/aitsa-film-ost-preview...

📸 credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@silvan_sikohler preforming the groundbreaking soundtrack he created for !AITSA in the surreal space of the Whale Well at @izikomuseumssa ≈ The performance formed apart of our launch event for the
!AITSA OUTREACH.

Globally there has been an overwhelming appreciation for the score created by Kohler / @field.audio 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨
The frequency from the dolerite ringing rocks bouncing off meteorites a stone through from the whales.

Massive thank you Simon Kohler and Andrew Aitchison from @a11agency for casting this sound web. 🔊

Here is a small preview of the OST: https://soundcloud.com/s_i_l_v_a_n/aitsa-film-ost-preview...

📸 credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@silvan_sikohler preforming the groundbreaking soundtrack he created for !AITSA in the surreal space of the Whale Well at @izikomuseumssa ≈ The performance formed apart of our launch event for the
!AITSA OUTREACH.

Globally there has been an overwhelming appreciation for the score created by Kohler / @field.audio 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨
The frequency from the dolerite ringing rocks bouncing off meteorites a stone through from the whales.

Massive thank you Simon Kohler and Andrew Aitchison from @a11agency for casting this sound web. 🔊

Here is a small preview of the OST: https://soundcloud.com/s_i_l_v_a_n/aitsa-film-ost-preview...

📸 credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

- !AITSA OUTREACH - LAUNCH EVENT at the Iziko planetarium and digital dome in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you so much to @izikomuseumssa for making this such a special evening.

Also a big thank you to all our partners: Sunshine Cinema, The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), Cosmopolitan Karoo, The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, The Documentary Filmmakers association of South Africa, The National Research Foundation - The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Jorden Kalder.

📸credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@bigidia @sunshinecinema @skaobservatory @saraoweb @docfilmsa

- !AITSA OUTREACH - LAUNCH EVENT at the Iziko planetarium and digital dome in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you so much to @izikomuseumssa for making this such a special evening.

Also a big thank you to all our partners: Sunshine Cinema, The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), Cosmopolitan Karoo, The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, The Documentary Filmmakers association of South Africa, The National Research Foundation - The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Jorden Kalder.

📸credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@bigidia @sunshinecinema @skaobservatory @saraoweb @docfilmsa

- !AITSA OUTREACH - LAUNCH EVENT at the Iziko planetarium and digital dome in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you so much to @izikomuseumssa for making this such a special evening.

Also a big thank you to all our partners: Sunshine Cinema, The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), Cosmopolitan Karoo, The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, The Documentary Filmmakers association of South Africa, The National Research Foundation - The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Jorden Kalder.

📸credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@bigidia @sunshinecinema @skaobservatory @saraoweb @docfilmsa

- !AITSA OUTREACH - LAUNCH EVENT at the Iziko planetarium and digital dome in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you so much to @izikomuseumssa for making this such a special evening.

Also a big thank you to all our partners: Sunshine Cinema, The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), Cosmopolitan Karoo, The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, The Documentary Filmmakers association of South Africa, The National Research Foundation - The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Jorden Kalder.

📸credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@bigidia @sunshinecinema @skaobservatory @saraoweb @docfilmsa

- !AITSA OUTREACH - LAUNCH EVENT at the Iziko planetarium and digital dome in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you so much to @izikomuseumssa for making this such a special evening.

Also a big thank you to all our partners: Sunshine Cinema, The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), Cosmopolitan Karoo, The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, The Documentary Filmmakers association of South Africa, The National Research Foundation - The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Jorden Kalder.

📸credit: Nigel Pamplin / Iziko Museums of South Africa

@bigidia @sunshinecinema @skaobservatory @saraoweb @docfilmsa

Shooting for our documentary film KEEPERS has begun. Here are a few frames from deep inside the hive which we spent hours filming in a calm buzzing frequency. Together with @ahk_agavehivekeepers we are embarking on a multi dimensional project centring around honeybees and their profound ancient significance and teachings. We will be listening to traditional beekeepers across Africa over the course of the coming few years. @neilrusch @amy.rusch @danedodds

@venuslaowa @redkomodousersofficial
#beekeeping #documentary #macro #sustainablebeekeeping #probelens #redkomodo

Shooting for our documentary film KEEPERS has begun. Here are a few frames from deep inside the hive which we spent hours filming in a calm buzzing frequency. Together with @ahk_agavehivekeepers we are embarking on a multi dimensional project centring around honeybees and their profound ancient significance and teachings. We will be listening to traditional beekeepers across Africa over the course of the coming few years. @neilrusch @amy.rusch @danedodds

@venuslaowa @redkomodousersofficial
#beekeeping #documentary #macro #sustainablebeekeeping #probelens #redkomodo

Shooting for our documentary film KEEPERS has begun. Here are a few frames from deep inside the hive which we spent hours filming in a calm buzzing frequency. Together with @ahk_agavehivekeepers we are embarking on a multi dimensional project centring around honeybees and their profound ancient significance and teachings. We will be listening to traditional beekeepers across Africa over the course of the coming few years. @neilrusch @amy.rusch @danedodds

@venuslaowa @redkomodousersofficial
#beekeeping #documentary #macro #sustainablebeekeeping #probelens #redkomodo