Shortlisted as one of fifteen films vying for the Best Documentary Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards, perfectly a strangeness marks the first short film from Canadian filmmaker Alison McAlpine, director of the wondrous 2017 feature Cielo. Ahead of a special screening at NYC’s DCTV this Saturday, we’re pleased to present an exclusive conversation between McAlpine and another one of Canada’s great directors, Atom Egoyan.
World premiering at Cannes Film Festival and a selection at over 70 other festivals across the world, here’s the synopsis of the short: “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.”
“Atom is a cinephile and a filmmaker of great sensibility,” said McAlpine. “It was a true pleasure to connect with him and talk about perfectly a strangeness and the art of filmmaking. It’s a tremendous honour to have my short film, perfectly a strangeness shortlisted for Best Documentary Short at the 98th Academy Awards and nominated for Cinema Eye Honors 2026. Also to have the support of a filmmaker as discerning and insightful as Atom Egoyan is deeply meaningful to me.”
Watch the conversation below.