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Producer(s):
ARTE GEIE
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Territories:
Worldwide.
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Production year:
2017
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Language(s):
German, French
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Rights:
TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD
During the endless winter nights, the Svans come into contact with the kingdom of the dead by performing a strange cult in honour of their ancestors.
Every winter, the snow covers the Upper Svaneti, the most elevated inhabited region in Europe, situated at the frontier of Georgia and Russia in the Caucasian mountains. During this very cold and frugal period, the Svans invite their ancestors to eat with them so that they can get warm and gain some strength. During the Festival of Torches, “Lamproba”, everyone convenes to the cemetery for a festive meal, a few steps away from the graves. In Svanetia, several generations live under the same roof and family ties are sacred. It is very rare for a Svan to leave his region. The rituals performed during this cult of ancestors ensures a continuity between life and death and between generations.