A stark white bridge flashes by as a voice intones a Ho-Chunk song for a safe journey.

In “Jáaji Approx,” Sky Hopinka takes an abstract journey through places, time and a life.

The seven-minute experimental film has already won a number of awards and was screened at Sundance 2016. It combines breathtaking scenery, Ho-Chunk stories and music, and an exploration of the bond between Sky and his father, a powwow singer.

Hopinka, a graduate student of film in UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts, plans to expand the film into a broader documentary exploring contemporary Ho-Chunk life.

“There’s a lot being done already to preserve the language and the culture,” Hopinka said. “I just want to contribute to that to the best of my abilities and the best way I know how.”