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From Earth to Sky

From Earth to Sky explores the work of seven unique and accomplished Indigenous Architects as they design and complete extraordinary 'buildings' in cities and communities across North America and Turtle Island. Beautiful and intimate, the film sparks a vital conversation paramount to transforming perspectives on how we approach our built environment.

  • Ron Chapman
    Director
    Shelter, Who The F**K is Artnur Fogel, The Poet of Havana, The Forbidden Shore, Carlos Varela: Live In Havana
  • Phyllis Ellis
    Writer
    Toxic Beauty, The Painted Land, Girls Night Out
  • Ron Chapman
    Producer
  • Douglas Cardinal
    Key Cast
  • Alfred Waugh
    Key Cast
  • Patrick Stewart
    Key Cast
  • Tammy Eagle Bull
    Key Cast
  • Wanda Dalla Costa
    Key Cast
  • Brian Porter
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Glenn
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 22 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada, Italy, New Zealand, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16 x 9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • TVO

    Canada
    June 21, 2021
    Canadian Premiere
  • Charlotte Film Festival
    Charlotte, NC
    United States
    International Premiere
    Best Documentary Feature Award
  • Scottsdale International Film Festival
    Scottsdale, AZ
    United States
    Best Documentary Jury Award
  • Motion Pictures International Film Festival

    Best Music Score/Sound in a Film Award
  • Red Nation International Film Festival

    Best Documentary Feature - Nominee
  • ES Europe International Film Festival

    Best Feature Documentary - Nominee
Distribution Information
  • Chapman Productions
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Ron Chapman

Director and producer Ron Chapman is an award-winning Toronto-based filmmaker. His feature documentaries have garnered acclaim worldwide and have aired on major networks and platforms. They include: Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel, featuring Lady Gaga, U2, The Police, Madonna, Rush, and key music industry insiders; HBO’s The Poet of Havana, with Carlos Varela, Benicio Del Toro and Jackson Browne; The Forbidden Shore, an in-depth exploration of Cuba’s top musical artists.

As one of three films Ron has produced and directed this year, Carlos Varela Live in Havana, his latest concert film, was released internationally in January 2021, along with a special limited edition boxed set including The Poet of Havana, Carlos Varela Live in Havana, and a double album of the live concert.

Shelter, the second of three 2021 releases, had its world premiere as the opening film of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, where it broke digital box office festival records, and is now broadcast in Canada through Rogers Sports & Media.

Ron’s third film released in 2021, From Earth to Sky, follows the story of seven Indigenous architects from Turtle Island. It premiered on Canadian screens on TVO and TVO.org in June to national acclaim. The film has quickly become one of TVO Doc’s most popular films, garnering over a million views in its first three weeks.

Ron is currently in production on a new music documentary investigating 1969’s The Toronto Rock N Roll Revival – what Rolling Stone called “the second most important event in rock history” – with John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, The Doors, Chicago and more, for release 2022.

Ron has enjoyed a lifetime of creative entrepreneurship. He started out as a musician, he became an artist manager, record producer, club owner, and concert promoter; and evolved to develop his own film production company and advertising agency, where he produced and directed commercials for international brands. Throughout, Ron has maintained his love of music, and his album of original songs, As Worlds Collide, is on Current Records, with a recent single and video “Turn Away”.

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Director Statement

Meeting iconic architect Douglas Cardinal in the fall of 2017, along with 18 other Indigenous architects from Turtle Island who were collaborating on an installation for the Venice Biennale, was an inspiring experience. Diverse and unique, the conversations I had with these talented architects sparked the fire for a film to document their illustrious contributions. And it has been an honour to observe, listen and lens seven of these extraordinary professionals and feature their experiences in From Earth to Sky. The celebrated landmark buildings they have created for their community, as well as national and international audiences, are a testament to their commitment to embrace mother earth.