press
Alison McAlpine in Conversation with
Walter Murch
Atom Egoyan
Dr. Shamell Bell, LACMA
Sam Green
Maite Alberdi
Ben Proudfoot
Sarah Smith, Directors Notes
Composer Ben Grossman with hurdy-gurdy
Babak Tafreshi
Reviews
“One of the most cinematic documentaries of the year”
McAlpine’s film is a heady blend of myth, science fiction, documentary, comedy and philosophical exploration…Stunning.
“Pushes the boundaries of what documentaries are.”
“A beautifully reflective film. Quiet. Evocative.”
“Visually mesmerizing.”
“Cinematic Reverie.”
Visually expansive, meditative… otherworldly, best experienced in a darkened theater.”
“Criterion channel acquires ‘Perfectly A Strangeness’”
“A breathtakingly beautiful piece of work.”
“Perfectly a Strangeness has the advantage of being one of the most gorgeous films nominated for an Oscar this year across any category.”
“I don’t know the last time this category had such an outlying oddity.”
“Charming, gorgeously shot ode to discovery (both on Earth and out there).”
“Worth seeing… Looks and sounds amazing… A cinematic morsel.”
“The infinite night sky is reflected in the eyes of three donkeys.”
“Observational almost seems too light a compliment for what this documentary does… stands out from the pack by leaps and bounds.”
“A true stand-out original… rich, complex, and fun to explore… A singular work that creates a new space within non-fiction with a fresh language”
“Pensive and awe-inspiring… perfectly strange enough to be captivating.”
“A film of infectious, wide-eyed curiosity.”
“Hollywood Needs Strangeness”
“Perfectly a Strangeness : le film comme un rêve”
“Deux courts métrages québécois en nomination”
“My top pick out of all the 2026 Oscar-nominated shorts…a gorgeous work of art.”
Hollywood Needs Strangeness
Featuring Alison McAlpine
What can a story be? …on pushing the boundaries of narrative
Alison McAlpine, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary short perfectly a strangeness, on pushing the boundaries of narrative.
by Alison McAlpine for TALKHOUSE
IDA Member Spotlight: Alison McAlpine
IDA Staff, International Documentary Association
Michael Louis Merrill, Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers
Season 5, Episode 293 of Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers
Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts Directors on Their Works
Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts Directors on Their Works and Hoping to Make an Impact: ‘We Wanted People to See This Raw, Unflinching Portrait’
by Addie Morfoot, Variety
As it Happens, Staff, CBC radio- “perfectly a strangeness”
on CBC As it Happens