Ella Morton – Visual Artist

An Uncertain Eternity follows the journey of icebergs that travel from Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland to the East coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Narrated by Greenlanders and Newfoundlanders, this film explores the political, social and spiritual implications of the icebergs and how they are changing as the planet warms.

To be released early 2025!

Director/Producer Ella Morton

Camera/Edit Ella Morton

Narrators Jonasie Faber, Karl Petersen, Johanna Ryan Guy, Robert Currie, Mark Gray, Lev Tarasov

Sound Design John MacLean

Music Qilaat, Seán Dagher, Ivana Popovic

Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab

Year 2024

Screening format 2K Video

Countries of production Canada, Greenland

Supported by
Canada Council for the Arts

In late 2021, I set out on a unique sailing journey on the tall ship Bark Europa from Uruguay across the South Atlantic Ocean, towards South Georgia and Antarctica. For myself, the voyage was a long-awaited way of celebrating life again after my mother’s death in the spring of 2020. The crew and guests came from all over the world, and each had their own reasons for making the trip, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One week into the trip, the ship ran into a massive storm and the main mast was struck by lightning. The intended itinerary was cancelled and we spent the next two weeks sailing directly to our end destination of Ushuaia, Argentina. This story is told by crew and passengers aboard the ship during the two weeks sailing towards Ushuaia after the lightning strike.

Crushed Between Ocean and Sky speaks to the transcendent and healing power of exploring new places, as well as the brutal irony of how life can interrupt us, let us move forward, and then interrupt us again.

Director/Producer Ella Morton

Camera/Edit Ella Morton

Sound Design John MacLean

Music Seán Dagher

Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab

Year 2023

Screening format 2K Video

Country of production Canada

Supported by
Ontario Arts Council
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto

Inuk and Mi’kmaw artist Amy Hull tells stories about growing up in Newfoundland. Her words are illustrated by altered Super 8mm footage of Newfoundland landscapes, where the distortion of the celluloid film reflects the wonder and nostalgia of her relationship with the land.

Director/Producer Ella Morton

Camera/Edit Ella Morton

Narration Amy Hull

Sound Design John MacLean

Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab

Year 2022

Running time 15 min

Screening format 2K Video

Country of production Canada

Supported by

Ontario Arts Council

The National Film Board of Canada - Filmmaker Assistance Program

Deepest Darkness, Flaming Sun (2020) is a short experimental film about the Svalbard Archipelago in the Norwegian Arctic. Narrated by wilderness guide Marte Agneberg Dahl, the film features altered Super 8mm film footage of the region. Marte speaks about her travels in the Arctic, climate change, walruses and the region’s history.

Director/Producer Ella Morton

Camera/Edit Ella Morton

Narration Marte Agneberg Dahl

Sound Design John MacLean

Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab

Year 2020

Running time 9min 52sec

Screening format 2K Video

Country of production Norway, Canada

Supported by

Ontario Arts Council

Canada Council for the Arts

LIFT - Liaison of Independent Filmmakers Toronto

Toronto Artscape Foundation

Distribution Vidéographe, Montréal

Kajanaqtuq (2020) is a short experimental film that features the voice of Inuk elder Naulaq LeDrew. She speaks about her home in Nunavut, Canada and how Inuit lifestyles have changed since her youth. Altered Super 8mm film footage of the region illustrates her account of historical events and Inuit mythology.

Director/Producer Ella Morton

Camera/Edit Ella Morton

Narration Naulaq LeDrew

Sound Design John MacLean

Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab

Year 2020

Running time 10min 39sec

Screening format 2K Video

Country of production Canada

Supported by

Canada Council for the Arts

LIFT - Liaison of Independent Filmmakers Toronto

Toronto Artscape Foundation

Wanderer (2024) is a music video for Linda Catlin Smith's contemporary music piece of the same name. Performed by the Thin Edge New Music Collective in Toronto and filmed on location in the Faroe Islands.

Composer Linda Catlin Smith

Performance The Thin Edge New Music Collective
Piano Cheryl Duvall
Clarinet Anthony Thompson
Percussion Nathan Petitpas
Violin Ilana Waniuk
Cello Amahl Arulanandam

Art Direction Ella Morton
Processing/Scanning Niagara Custom Lab
Darkroom The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto

Supported by
Canada Council for the Arts
Ontario Arts Council

Late Winter (For The Left Hand) (2021) is a music video created in collaboration with pianist Cheryl Duvall and composer Anna Höstman. From the video’s press release:

“Through the medium of contemporary music and experimental film, artists Ella Morton (photography/film), Anna Höstman (composition) and Cheryl Duvall (pianist) join forces to share a moving perspective on climate change. Morton’s visuals capture the stark majesty of the natural world through the use of analogue processes – these ‘processes will sometimes embolden the scenery and emphasize its beauty, but in other moments, the effects will make the image appear as if it’s dissolving or degrading’ (Kwerfeldein, May 2021). Paired with the composition ‘Late Winter’ from Höstman and Duvall’s debut album ‘Harbour’, the video offers a poignant reflection on what we risk losing due to the climate crisis through the lens of three Canadian artists who are deeply inspired by our natural world.”

This project is generously funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.