Shikaakwa

Using a two channel projection Shikaakwa (the indigenous word for Chicago) is an elegy for the landscape and people of Chicago. The film is a meditation on the physical spaces that hold us up and hold us back and the human beings that navigate them. One channel explores the recovery of Ondelee Perteet, who was shot and paralyzed at the age of 14 and the other depicts the life of a big city. Shikaakwa portrays the despair, movement, progress, and stillness of Chicago’s inhabitants.

Cast and Crew

Director Carlos Javier Ortiz

Written Carlos Javier Ortiz and Tina K. Sacks

Cinematography Carlos Javier Ortiz + Deetreena Pertee

Editor Carlos Javier Ortiz

Producer Carlos Javier Ortiz

Executive Producer Tina K. Sacks

Audio Carlos Javier Ortiz and Elyse Blennerhassett