BALKAN PORTRAITS
Asen Balikci
Bulgaria 1995 | 72 Min. | S-VHS
Bulgaria 1995 | 72 Min. | S-VHS

An astounding battle of wills takes place in the heart of the Maroccan Sahara where members of a minority exercise their domination over one of man’s most terrifying ancestral enemies, the snake. The Aïssaouas thrive on the pursuit of dangers which, to all but themselves, would bring death, mutilation or madness. Barehanded, they capture cobras and draw on the snake’s strength to increase their power and healing capacity. The trance plays an important part in their religion which is based on a philosophy of tolerance.
The film takes us out on a mystical journey with an »Assaouï«: leading us from chasing reptiles in the desert to an exorcism ritual in which music and trances melt together.