NGN

When producing a video, there are moments where story, history, and future come together in a way that feels both urgent and timeless. Our Ancestors, a short documentary for the First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN), is one of those films. It follows the Mamalilikulla Guardians as they return to an ancient clam garden site on the coast of British Columbia—connecting with their lands, their ancestors, and their responsibility to future generations.

Although Meantime Studio were involved only in post-production for this film, it was a privilege to play a part in helping the Guardians’ story reach audiences across Canada and beyond. Led by Jack Shaw for NGN, and supported in finishing by our team at Meantime, the film carries a powerful sense of place and purpose.

A Story Rooted in Land and Culture

The documentary opens with a reminder of the forces that tried to erase Indigenous language, culture, and traditions. Yet through the work of the Guardians, there is a sense of resurgence and resilience. The film brings viewers to the clam gardens—ancient, human-made stone terraces built to cultivate clams, once a staple food source on the Pacific Northwest coast.

As the Guardians clear rocks, restore the clam walls, and “fluff” the beach, the camera shows more than just stewardship. It shows continuity. It shows how producing a video can reveal deep interconnections: between past and present, between science and traditional knowledge, between people and the non-human relatives—the whales, the plants, the animals—that are all considered kin within Mamalilikulla worldview.

At its core, Our Ancestors is about identity and belonging. The Guardians’ work is practical—moving rocks, surveying the land, protecting archaeological sites—but it is also spiritual. Clams are not just food; they are part of a story of survival. Animals are not just animals; they are brothers, sisters, and ancestors.

When producing a video like this, the challenge is to balance intimate voices with sweeping context. The transcript reveals quiet, reflective moments—such as the joy of returning home after years away—alongside scenes of collective effort and ceremony. By weaving these strands together, the film shows that reviving clam gardens is not only about ecology, but also about reawakening nationhood.

Meantime’s Role in Post-Production

While NGN and the Mamalilikulla Guardians led the filming and storytelling, Meantime Studio’s role was in bringing it all together in the edit suite. Sound, pacing, and flow are critical when producing a video that carries this much cultural weight. Every transition, every piece of music, every pause had to support the Guardians’ voice—never overshadowing it.

For us, it was a chance to practice what we believe producing a video should be about: collaboration, respect, and craft. The Guardians provided the vision; we provided the tools to let that vision resonate.

The Mamalilikulla people emphasise responsibility to the next seven generations. The clam garden, once stagnant, is now being reawakened as a food source, a teaching ground, and a living record of resilience. Producing a video about this work means not just documenting an archaeological site, but helping carry forward knowledge that colonial systems once tried to erase.