In Light
Reconnecting with nature through Music and Dance
Directed by Alice Fassi
Interview by Tatev Avetisyan
In Light lives in a liminal space between documentary and visual tale. Alternating archival film material with new footage, the short film grants a unique insight into the peaceful and sublime ways of the Universal White Brotherhood. Born in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 20th century, the movement professes the High Ideal passed on by its founder and spiritual guide Master Beinsa Duno: “A heart as pure as a crystal, a mind as radiant as the sun, a soul as vast as the universe, a spirit as powerful as God and one with God.”
With In Light, director Alice Fassi and photographer Marco Gehlhar welcome us into the life of a community of brothers and sisters whose philosophy lies in opening their hearts to the light and the greater good. Produced in collaboration with the Milan-based production company C41, the documentary follows the community on their daily teachings to reach a higher level of consciousness and connect with one another, including their yearly walk to the Seven Rila Lakes (Bulgaria) to celebrate the new spiritual year and the practice of Paneurhythmy - a dance composed of a series of movements able to channel the supreme cosmic rhythm.
What motivated you to take on In Light? Why did you feel it was important to tell this story?
My assistant Marco once told me a story about when he went hiking in the mountains in Bulgaria, finding himself in the middle of a ritual with everybody dressed in white. I’m a very curious person and I’m very interested in alternative religious movements so that resonated in my mind. The year after, we decided to leave together for this adventure. I didn’t know what to expect from this. I only knew that I didn’t want to make a typical documentary. I wanted to portray my experience as a visual tale; of exactly how I lived it.
You have archival film mixed with new material; tell us about the editing process. How did you work with editor Margherita Freyrie?
It was my first time working with archival footage. With Margherita, we had to find the right balance between the footage I took and the archival one, still keeping the narration very fluid. It was not easy and also not planned since the beginning, but Margherita and Nicole (copywriter) helped me fit it all together.
The funny thing is that I shot the film with a super 8 camera, and the archival was in super 8 and 16 mm. I like the fact that it’s hard to distinguish what is from the present and what comes from the past. What comes up is a video that is a little bit “out of time”. I really need to thank the Brotherhood for giving me the possibility to use their archival.
Your recent works for Maserati, La Double J, and Rayban focus on dancing and movement; what inspired you to implement this approach into your projects? And are dance and movement also part of the reason you were drawn towards the White Brotherhood in In Light?
I really enjoy dance videos, especially when I can work with a choreographer like it was in the Vogue-Maserati. It creates a synergy between the movement of the camera and the movement of the dancers. Anyway, in all these cases, it was not a real choice, I’m not specifically looking for dance projects. It just happens.
What challenges did you face while making In Light? And how did you overcome them?
It was a very small production since we were only me and Marco on the shooting part. Being in two means a lot more responsibilities to care of. Also, our conditions were pretty harsh. We were camping in a tent in the middle of nowhere with our whole equipment. One of the most difficult moments was when, one night, there was a huge storm, and we had to cover all our gear with our bodies, since our tent was dripping water inside. It was quite challenging, but we managed to save the day.
“Watching the Paneurhythmy was a very deep experience, emotionally and also visually. ”
This mystical dance of the White brotherhood - paneurhythmy – has a spiritual base. Did you have any challenges with the participants on how to shape your message? Or were you participating as an observer and reporter along with your assistant and co-producer, Marco Gehlhar?
I went there as an observer and I wanted to keep this “observational language” for the film. I hope this is the impression that gives the film when you first watch it. It was mostly improvised, following the flow of the events. That also permitted us to experience more than we could expect. One of my most vivid memories is when, at 5 a.m. I accompanied one of the ranchers living nearby to look for a white horse that had escaped during the night. That's where I made my last shot, where you see the camera shaking because I was on horseback. Who would have thought my first time on a horse would have been with a super 8 in my hand?
How does the film’s theme resonate with your own beliefs, aesthetics and vision?
What fascinates me about religions in general, it’s not understanding whether they are true or not, but the positive message that they bring. The Universal White Brotherhood is based on fraternity, the power of light, in the power of music and dance to reconnect with nature. I think that I can definitely share these beliefs. Watching the Paneurhythmy was a very deep experience, emotionally and also visually. So it also really matched my aesthetic interest.
What are you working on next?
I am shooting my new short film right next week and I am very excited.It is a critique satirical film I wrote last year in an impetus. But I don’t want to spoil anything. Hopefully, we’ll talk about it when it’s ready.
Directed and shot by Alice Fassi (@alice.fassi)
Director’s Assistant: Marco Gehlhar (@marcogehlhar)
Co-produced by: C41 (@c41.eu)
Executive Producers: Marco Gehlhar (@marcogehlhar), LEONE (@leonedirector), Barbara Guieu (@barbara_guieu)
Co-writer & Press Release: Nicole Salotti (@nicolesalotti)
Editing: Margherita Freyrie (@margheritafreyrie)
Sound Design & Graphics: Alberto Ricchi (@albiricchi)
Colorist: Leonardo Mareso (@leonardo_mareso_color)
A big thanks to Universal White Brotherhood, in particular:
Les Editions Prosveta
Hristo Vatev
English translations by George Ziza & Irene Caputo
Process and Scanning ANDEC Filmtechnik
Additional thanks to the wonderful people we met: Kyril Zablyov, Radoslav Radulov, Margarita Strateva, Kaloyan Rizov, Mirela Gruncharova, Teodor Nalbantov, Hristo Borisov, Pavlin Aleksandrov, Iliana Tankisheva