Kukeri

Every year in June, the small Bulgarian village of Balgari celebrates St Constantine with a special ritual. Initiated ‘nestinari’ go into a music-induced trance and dance on bonfires in a display of religious passion.

A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.

A documentary about lamentation songs of Bulgarian funeral rites.

A documentary on the surviving syncretic pagan midwinter customs of the British Isles, focusing on nine ritual celebrations ranging from the Moray Firth in the north, the Somerset Levels in the south, Humberside in the east, and County Kerry in the west. Featuring music by the Albion Band and narration by John Tams.

DocuDrama about 13th century pre-Christian culture. Danish spy Lars enters the tribal lands of the Baltic peoples, where he takes part in religious rites, cruel forays, gets high during the Summer Solstice, becomes slave to the Couronians and even fights the crusaders. Who were the last pagans of Europe and how did they live? It is a unique trip into the textures of the past and into the unknown lands of the Baltic Tribes.

Each live appearance of HEILUNG is a spectacular affair, where the lines blur between musical performance, ancient pagan rituals, past, and present. The Danish band found a fitting name for their opulent stage set and huge production: amplified history. Their viewers use other words such as "amazing, mind-blowing, goose bumps, unforgettable". As a tribute to the overwhelming demand of their fast- growing host of supporters, HEILUNG released a complete live show under the banner of 'LIFA', which was filmed at Castlefest 2017.

A peek into the lives of a misunderstood community of pagans.

Documentary about three young people, each a member of a fringe religious community, who have separated themselves from mainstream America in order to live immersed in their faiths. Set against depressed but quintessentially American landscapes - the former revivalist district of upstate New York, old mining country in the mountains of northern California, and the stark badlands of South Dakota - the film interlaces three very intimate, apolitical portraits of young individuals trying to lead more extraordinary, mystical lives.

An examination of occultism as practiced in different parts of the world.

As Dimitar’s decades-long fight against enviousness, laziness and prejudice to keep the kukeri tradition in his region alive proves successful, it turns out to have really been a journey towards finding and maintaining his own inner peace all along. Told through a series of interviews and slices-of-life ranging from the tragic to the euphotic is a story of love and resilience.

This film documents the Kukeri rituals in Bulgaria, focusing on the mask makers and performers who keep this ancient tradition alive. Their dedication to this agrarian custom is a visual testament to the power of tradition to provide hope and community in a time of diaspora and urbanization.

Part fictional documentary, part musical anthropology, scientific magic, and eco-anarchic utopian journey in a landscape of eight parts. You're Kaloyan, the sax player. Or Diana, the Gypsy dancer. You journey together through Bulgaria in search of the utopian village Dolphinovo. It's not Sofia, Paris or New York. That's why this story is rural, rustic and polyphonic. It's like a string of painted walls of village houses, folk songs and allegories. However, who is Ivo? And why does he lead you through these winter landscapes a year later?