Documentary films,
shaped by story.
An artistic approach to real lives, places and ideas.
Small crews. Close collaboration. Room to try something different.
Documentary is a form
of creative expression.
A film can communicate an idea and still be an artistic work. At I See North, the story shapes the form: an intimate portrait, a remembered journey, a piece built around a voice or a gesture. We use image, sound and rhythm to explore the subject, leaving room for ambiguity, atmosphere and discovery.
A few of the people we work with
Selected films.
Different ways
of understanding.
How does Western science intersect with Indigenous knowledge and lived experience?
This question runs through our approach to filmmaking. We bring researchers, knowledge holders and people on the land into the conversation, paying attention to where their perspectives meet, where they differ, and what each can reveal.
Two-Eyed Seeing informs how we listen and frame a story. Indigenous knowledge is not simply material to illustrate a scientific explanation. It has its own context, authority and relationships. The film should make space for those differences.
Our approach is informed by Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing, as shared by Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall. Learn about the principle ↗
Place · relationship · experience
Observation · research · evidence
A more considered story.
Aaron
Francesco Zeiss.
My work begins with people
and the places they know.
I’m a filmmaker, photographer and journalist based in Waskaganish, on the eastern shore of James Bay. I See North is the home of my documentary work and commissioned productions.
I work at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship and human stories, collaborating with Indigenous governments, wildlife boards, researchers and community knowledge holders.
My field experience spans northern Canada, the Amazon, Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe. I’ve lived with the Sarayaku people in Ecuador and photographed in refugee camps in Lebanon. Small-boat operations, wilderness travel and wilderness medical training are part of the practical experience I bring to a production.
I studied film in London and speak five languages. Across these different settings, my interest is consistent: finding a film’s own language, while staying accountable to the people whose story it is.
Talk with Aaron ↗Creative decisions.
Practical experience.
A small team, built around the project.
From the first question to the finished film.
01DevelopmentBefore pre-production
Before pre-production
Find the story before deciding the format.
We begin with conversations: what is happening, who is involved, and why a film is the right way to approach it. Research, listening and early conversations with participants help us find the central question and the people who can carry the story.
Story research · Participant conversations · Creative treatment02Pre-productionMake room for the unexpected.
Make room for the unexpected.
A creative plan grounded in field realities.
We develop the visual language, sound approach and narrative possibilities, then work through access, consent, local collaboration, travel, weather, safety and equipment. A small team keeps the logistics manageable and makes it easier to reach places where a larger production would be difficult.
Access & relationships · Locations & logistics · Visual and sound planning03ProductionStay close to what is happening.
Stay close to what is happening.
A small crew, responsive to people and place.
We travel light and adapt to the setting, working with local knowledge and appropriate support. Time with participants matters as much as time behind the camera. We follow the story as it develops, making space for observation and unexpected moments alongside carefully considered images and sound.
Direction · Cinematography · Location sound · Field production04Post-productionFind the film in the material.
Find the film in the material.
Shape meaning through image, sound and rhythm.
The edit is a creative stage in its own right. We explore structure, pacing, silence and the relationship between voices. Agreed review stages allow us to check context and accuracy with the people involved, before colour, sound, captions and delivery for the intended audience.
Editing · Context & accuracy review · Colour & sound · DeliveryDocumentary, commissioned films and photography.
Working across northern Canada and internationally.
Tell me about
your project.
Bring a brief, a question, or a story you want to explore. Tell me what you have in mind and we can take it from there.
aaronfz.media@gmail.com ↗Prefer a conversation? Choose “Request a call” and include a few times that work for you.