Similkameen Crossroads: Review
Through the lens of a camera, Tyler Hagan takes users on a reflective journey about his Indigenous roots and the connections he has with the Upper Similkameen Reserve. The St. Ann’s Missionary Church location on the reserve is a primary focus of the interactive experience; Tyler often references the power of the building and how each person on the reserve has a different connection with it. The chapel represents the history; both the good and bad. Similkameen Crossroads has been described as an interactive photo essay that is narrated by Tyler Hagan and other Indigenous peoples who live on the reserve. Viewers are given the freedom to scroll through the pictures while zooming in and out to reveal more detail in the photographs. The video is broken down into four sections −“Look Around,” “Dig Roots,” “Shed Skin” and finally “Write your own story,”− each corresponds with a particular story. The sections touch on the process the Indigenous people have made to connect with the Catholic church after the tragedies of the residential schools. The interactive experience was successful due to the many aspects that made it personal and easy for the viewers to form an emotional connection. The narration, music, and photographs worked together to immerse the viewers into the experience.
As a viewer, you are given the option to scroll through the photos at your chosen speed, while listening to members of the Similkameen reserve speak about their Indigenous heritage. The most important aspect of the experience is how it makes viewers feel. The soft tones of the narration are complemented by the somber music and dark, crisp photos. The experience successfully captivates the audience thanks to the music in the background that sounds very mysterious and calming. Since a majority of the photographs are taken outside, the music helps to create a realistic environment for the users once they are connected to the experience.
The narration mostly is done by Tyler Hagan’s soft, soothing voice, played over the calming music in the background. The dialogue is broken up into the four sections, each dealing with an important aspect of Similkameen reserve. During the sections, a variety of Indigenous people have the opportunity to share their stories and speak about certain issues such as residential schools, the church and the community as a whole. When a different speaker is used, the viewers can look onto the time bar and see who the new narrator is. They also have the opportunity to scroll over the name and see photos of the speakers around the Similkameen reserve.
The narration did well in the sense that it was very captivating and diverse, but often it was hard to follow what topic the narrators were discussing. The flow of subjects seemed a little unusual, often requiring the viewer to re listen to a particular section to completely comprehend what the speaker said.
Nonetheless, the narration is so compelling that one gets lost in what they are saying, making it easy to miss the interactive aspect of the piece. Since there are a lot of photos to scroll through it, is tough to focus on both the beautiful photographs and narration without missing a detail, not appreciating the full beauty in both. Moreover, there are many photos used in the photo series, making it easy to go too fast while looking through them. That then makes it hard to appreciate every photo being shown, or even making it to the final bunch of pictures. Additionally, it is interesting to see that the narrative will always match up with the photographs, what has been said will always resemble what is being projected.
Every photo featured in the interactive experience is breathtakingly beautiful. Considering this piece is an interactive photo journal, there is a strong emphasis on the photos taken and used. Tyler Hagan does not skimp on the detail as he makes sure to include hundreds of pictures in the project, showing different angles, perspectives and tiny details which allows to users to fully grasp the beauty of the reserve.
Again, users have control of what image they are viewing, but if they go too fast, they will miss something wonderful like the occasional video that reveals more detail. The photos act as a self-controlled video, allowing the viewer to use their mind to create movement, making it a self-directed piece.
As a viewer, I felt a powerful connection to the piece and very passionate about what has been said. Little things such as the style of photography, the usage of film and the colour scheme in the photos made it very intriguing. The tone of Tyler’s voice matched perfectly with the visuals shown on the screen, which was a big part of why I felt so connected to the experience. Similar to many others, I am a visual learner, meaning I emphasize a substantial use of visuals in everything I look at or create. Being a visual learner made me appreciate the detail placed on the connection between somber photos and tone of voice. Everything had a place, and nothing seemed redundant to the experience. With that being said, as a visual learner, I wanted to focus on the images presented to me, but it was hard to take in both essential aspects of the experience.
Finally, the photo essay does require a lot of attention and time from the users, but it still does a beautiful job of informing people on the Similkameen reserve. The beauty is woven into the narrations, the music, and the photography; all are working together to create a seamless piece that allows every aspect to work in harmony with the other functions. Tyler Hagan and the members of the reserve built a successful interactive experience that can broadcast both the beauty within the culture but also the pain they once felt, helping to shed a light onto Indigenous history.
