Kukeri
From the Archives
•
9m 27s
A rural Bulgarian family fights to keep a millenia-old demon chasing festival alive. “Kukeri,” directed by Daniel Ali and Jake Schühle Lewis, is a mesmerizing portrait of an ancient tradition where elaborately costumed individuals make their way through local villages aiming to bring happiness and prosperity. The captivating images of the large, dancing figures in their swinging fur costumes with attached bells provide a sense of surreal joy, but the profile also benefits from getting to know the people in the suits. The family of four describe their inspiration and excitement for the ritual, a life-affirming depiction tapping into the spiritual and performative pleasures that connect past with present. Especially touching are the reflections of the family’s teenage daughter who delights in surprising onlookers they’re witnessing a woman under the costume, in a traditionally men-only ritual.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Fall
A young woman experiences strange hallucinations while going about her daily life in Los Angeles. Directed by and starring Shereen Lani Younes, “Fall” is an unsettling psychological drama about dealing with a reality that appears to be crumbling. Words are jumbled on menus, the ceiling warps as i...
-
Meet the Director: Emma Pillsbury ("I...
Emma Pillsbury is a filmmaker based in New York City who graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Cinema Arts & Sciences - concentrating in directing and experimental film. From the Metro - Detroit area, she grew up figure skating for Team USA.
-
Snow Angel
A young woman drifts through a series of wintry adventures after leaving her backyard and heading into the woods. A lovely stop-motion animation by Evie Metz and Nick Daly, “Snow Angel” envisions a magical place where you can ride a reindeer, or ice skate on a pond encircled by giant sunflowers. ...
