perfectly a strangeness | Encounters SA International Doc Film Festival

perfectly a strangeness

A

In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be.

Awards

Cannes Film Festival (2024) – Nominated: Palme d'Or – Best Short Film

Canadian Screen Awards (2025) – Nominated: Best Short Documentary

Salem Film Festival (2025) – Nominated: Shorts Award

Les Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois (2025) – Winner: Best Short: Meilleur Court Métrage Documentaire

Science New Wave Festival XVI (2024) – Winner: Theme Sensitive Award

Festival international de court métrages Images en Vue (2024) – Winner: Jury Prize: Best Quebec Short Film

Athens International Film & Video Festival (2025) – Winner: From the Booth Award

Trento Film Festival (2025) – Winner: Silver Gentian, Best Artistic-Technical Film

Leiden Shorts Festival (2025) – Winner: Festival Favourites

Chicago International Film Festival (2024) – Winner: Silver Hugo: Best Documentary Short

Hamptons International Film Festival (2024) – Nominated: Golden Starfish Award: Documentary Short

Toronto International Film Festival (2024) – Nominated: IMDbPro Short Cuts Award: Best Canadian Film

Toronto International Film Festival (2024) – Winner: Canada's Top Ten

Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival (THESS) (2024) – Winner: Cinematic Achievement Award

Uppsala International Short Film Festival (2024) – Nominated: Grand Prix: International Competition

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (2025) – Winner: Jury Award: Best Short Film

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (2025) – Nominated: The Franklin Humanities Institute Award: Honorable Mention

A
Short
International

African Premiere

Award Winning

SHORTS BLOCK

Between the Ordinary & the Uncanny

Director(s):

Alison McAlpine

Country:

Canada

Year:

2024

Duration:

15 min

Language(s):

No dialogue

RATING:

A

Perfectly A Strangeness Poster Poster
Film Poster

In this visually breathtaking experimental documentary, three donkeys make their way among the giant structures of an unmanned astronomical observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Set against a luminous night sky, the film hints at the animals’ perception of the universe as the giant telescopes move across the sky, capturing the galaxies. Framed by the dazzling incandescence of the evening desert landscape, perfectly a strangeness is a hauntingly hypnotic slice of real-world cinema.

Film Stills
Trailer
Previous Festivals

Aguilar FF (2024)

Athens Int’l Film & Video Festival (2025)

Atlantic Int’l FF (2024)

Award Winning Short Films- FNC (2024)

Big Sky Doc FF (2025)

Boston Underground FF (2025)

Camden Int’l FF (2024)

Cannes FF (2024)

Chicago Int’l FF (2024)

Cinelebu Festival International de Cine (2025)

DC/DOX Film Festival (2025)

Denver FF (2024)

DMZ Int’l Doc FF (2024)

DocAviv Doc FF (2025)

DocLands Doc FF (2025)

DOXA Doc FF (2025)

Festival du film international de Baie-Comeau (2025)

Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (2024)

Festival International de Court Métrage Aix-en-Provence (2024)

Festival International de Court Métrage Images en Vue (2024)

Full Frame Doc FF (2025)

Glimmerglass Filmdays (2024)

Hamptons Int’l FF (2024)

IDFA Festival (2024)

Int’l Doc and Short FF of Kerala (IDSFFK) (2024)

Science New Wave Festival XVI (2024)

InScience FF (2025)

Kyiv Int’l Short FF (2024)

Leiden Shorts Festival (2025)

Les Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois (2025)