An immersive exploration of rituals in Haiti, co-created with dancers, musicians, fishermen, daredevil rollerbladers, machete fighters, and Vodou priests. Set to the poetry of Wood-Jerry Gabriel, Leave the Bones is a celebration of the complex and beautiful spirit of the island.
Grammy Award-winning musician Joseph Ray teamed up with traditional Vodou supergroup Lakou Mizik to write an album of spiritual and folkloric songs reimagined for the 21st century. These original arrangements, blended with new sound recordings and interviews, form the backdrop to a sensorial film that takes the spectator on a journey through Haitian rituals: from the roaring Rara music of Jacmel’s Kanaval, to the spiritual songs of a candlelit Vodou ceremony, to the visceral rhythms of modern-day Port-au-Prince.
Director/Cinematographer/Editor/Co-producer: Kaveh Nabatian, 70 minutes/ HD, 16mm
Premiered at: Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (Montréal) October 2022 – Audience Award (International Panorama)
International premiere: SXSW – March 2023
Other screenings:
- Miami International Film Festival
- Reelworld Film Festival (Toronto) – Outstanding Cinematographer Award
- DOXA (Closing Night Film)
- Rooftop Films Summer Series
- Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (Korea)
- Festival Afro-Urbain (Montreal)
- Choreoscophe (Barcelona)
- Gimli
- Bucharest International Dance FF
- DC Caribbean FF
- Caribbean Tales (Toronto)
- Paraloeil (Rimouski)