The second documentary feature from Director Brian D. Johnson, one of Canada’s most respected film critics and journalists, explores the magic of ink-making through the adventures of Jason S. Logan, a contemporary alchemist who harvests natural pigments from unlikely landscapes.

Jason sends custom-made inks to an eclectic range of writers, artists around the world, from a New Yorker cartoonist, to Canada’s own Margaret Atwood to Japanese calligrapher Koji Kakinuma. As the inks take on a life of their own, his playful alchemy paints a story of colour that reconnects us to this most elemental component of media and storytelling.

The film’s Director of Photography is Nicholas De Pencier, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker in his own right, whose most recent achievement was directing ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch with Jennifer Baichwal and Ed Burtynsky.

Propelled by the wonderful cinematography of Nicholas de Pencier, each new ink that is shown feels like a new revelation. It allows one to embody the same sense of wonderment and unpredictability that has fueled Logan’s passion for ink.
Courtney Small – That Shelf, September 2022

Awards and Nominations

TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, Canada, 2022 – Official Selection
Jury Award for Best Documentary, CUFF, Calgary Underground Film Festival, Canada, 2022 – Winner