Chants and Dances for Hand

Synopsis

"There are scenes of Vodou ceremonies in which I participated, scenes filmed during an uprising, personal images (Hand is my son from a Haitian marriage) but this is far from a documentary. There are no sounds other than the sync sounds that accompany the images. The sections devoted to five ceremonies are separated by “Interludes” that introduce other material, some of it threaded throughout. This is a tightly wound network of sonic and visual connections, with secret passages between elements. Thoughts about the relationship between ceremonies and personal and political life can arise, and of spectatorship in and outside of cinema, video and dreams." – Larry Gottheim