Anna Kuelken
“If we opened people up, we’d find landscapes.” – Agnes Varda
About Me
Anna Kuelken (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker based on Treaty 6 territory in Alberta. Having returned to her roots on a small bison farm in rural northern Alberta, her work continues to be shaped by a deep connection to the land and an interest in the intricate relationships between people and their environments.
Working primarily in a cinéma vérité style, Anna approaches documentary filmmaking by prioritising relationship building, observation, and authenticity. She is also committed to reciprocity; caring for the people as much as the story to make sure it is properly represented, like a well-cared-for ecosystem.
Her films have received national recognition, including the BMO 1st Art! National Award for her short doc Father Like Son (2021), participation in the Hot Docs Pitch Program for Women Who Dig, and recognition as a finalist for the Lindalee Tracey Award. In 2024, Anna received the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award. Her latest documentary, Women Who Dig, was chosen for a special screening by the United Nations in Vienna, celebrating women farmers all over the world.
Anna’s latest documentary, No Ordinary World, is set for release in 2027. Alongside director Patrick Lundeen, she sheds light on the grassroots organizations delivering humanitarian aid to the frontlines of Ukraine. Going beyond observation, the filmmakers became active volunteers, working shoulder to shoulder with the people whose stories they were documenting. The film offers an intimate perspective on the war in Ukraine, revealing the profound impact of small acts of compassion and how something as simple as a bundle of socks can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
Hire Me
Freelance Filmmaker
Cinematographer
Director + Editor
I have my own kit
WOMEN WHO DIG
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Women Who Dig is a documentary film by Anna Kuelken, adapted from the book Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World by Trina Moyles.
Women Who Dig showcases Canadian women on a journey to combat food insecurity and the industrial farm system by utilising traditional farming techniques rooted in ancestral history. The small family farm is often perceived as an occupation of the past, being overtaken by large-scale industrial farming practices. Big Ag wreaks havoc on our global climate, all the while creating a GMO monoculture that contributes to an enormous loss of our planet’s biodiversity. This documentary, filmed over the course of three years in cinema veritas, offers an intimate portrait of the lesser-told story of women farmers and land stewards pushing back against industrial practices. Across Western Canada in rural and urban centres, women are sowing the seeds for a better tomorrow. These are their stories of hope, grief, and resilience.