(France / 16mm and super 8 / 31 min / black and white / stereo)
“My filmic event of the Year 2012 is the discovery of “Natpwe. The Feast of the Spirits”, made by Tiane Doan Na Champassak & Jean Dubrel in 2004 and definitively edited in 2012.
In the great tradition of Jean Rouch and Raymonde Carasco, but also Philippe Grandrieux and David Lynch, it’s the both faithful and empathic depiction of five days of trance rituals in a Burma then under severe dictatorship. These rituals are also a way for the homosexual and tranvestites to find a rewarding place in the community. The film was shot in 16mm and S8 black & white. It has been awarded in 2012 the Prix Scribe, in the presence of Louis Lumière’s grand-son and Georges Méliès’ grand-daughter, who never met before.”
Nicole Brenez