While on a hike Sage meets Nitanis, a beautiful young woman, and falls in love at first sight. Sage soon discovers that Nitanis is in fact a ghost – but his love for her compels him to seek the truth about her disappearance and murder to help her spirit complete the journey to the other side.

A story of love and its power to transcend time, space and even death.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Petie Chalifoux
Producer: Micheal Auger

Filmmaker’s statement

I truly believe that story is key to a healthy life and strong culture – and a story that makes people think about the issues around them is a successful story.

Past Time is a short film that sheds a unique light upon the murdered and missing Indigenous women of Canada.

About Petie Chalifoux

I am a Cree filmmaker, originally from northern Alberta. I have chosen to be a filmmaker because it is a powerful and creative medium to shed light upon the realities of social issues that surround the world we live in today from an Indigenous perspective.

I graduated with my bachelors of motion picture arts in January 2017, and I was selected to be the very first Indigenous valedictorian for Capilano University’s convocation in June 2017.

The first documentary I wrote and produced is titled Indig-A-Fit which speaks to modern day Indigenous lifestyles and reclaiming our natural health and strength.

The first short dramatic film I wrote and produced is titled The Shifter about reclaiming power for an Indigenous woman. The Shifter screened at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco as well as the LA Skins Film Festival in Los Angeles, California in November 2015.

My first feature length film as a writer/producer is River of Silence with which I hope to bring worldwide awareness to the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women and violence against all women.

I not only want to raise awareness but I hope to inspire a call to action as this is a serious issue that’s been going on for years with thousands of missing and murdered people. River of Silence will have its world premiere screening in Los Angeles at the LASkins Film Festival held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood this November.

Following the feature film, my directorial debut was on a TELUS STORYHIVE short dramatic film Past Time that expresses how love can transcend time, space and even death.

My husband Micheal Auger and I have been successful in our application to the National Screen Institute’s IndigiDocs program and have began production on a short documentary titled Mihkowapikwaniy.

Mihkowapikwaniy will capture the best of Indigenous tradition with current forms of healing including dance, food and laughter – all under the beautiful July sun surrounded by the northern Alberta boreal forest.

Other recent successes include a short documentary with BravoFactual titled Bella’s Story about the life and time of a young Indigenous woman named Bella before her tragic death.

We are motivated by our own personal experiences with the loss of a loved one to the thousands of murdered and missing Indigenous women of Canada and we hope to continue to make a change in today’s world using film.

The next project we have on the go is a pilot episode for a TV series titled Nîsowak. We recently won one of the 100K edition grants through TELUS STORYHIVE.