In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory. The universe unfolds before them. Palomo, Ruperto, and Palaye, as the three animals are called, are stunned at the wonders of technology and the infinite splendor of our galaxy. A film about beauty and the way we look at animals, a sensory and cinematic exploration of what a story can be.
Alison began her career as a published poet, inspired by family tales and the oral traditions of British Columbia where she grew up. CIELO, her award winning first feature, has been presented at over 400 international film festivals and cinemas. PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS is her first short film.
Awards
Silver Gentian for the Best Artistic-Technical Contribution
Ed. 2025
Through an original use of time-lapse and the hyperrealist cinematography, Perfectly a Strangeness transforms the Chilean desert into a suspended landscape, where the high definition of the image feeds a profound sense of wonder in the face of the cosmos. The director Alison McAlpine and the cinematographer Nicolas Canniccioni create a sensory experience that is both ironic and moving: a short, dialogue-free film, visually stunning, paying tribute to other iconic four-legged protagonists of cinema—such as those immortalized by Bresson and Skolimowski—offering a poetic reflection on wonder and otherness.