In the Catalan-speaking southern France, a proper “Bear Chase”, of the kind that was once popular throughout Europe, has been revived in a carnival context. This film is part of **Carnival

In a small community of Italian Slavic-speakers, the performance by the Beautiful White Masks, impersonated by women, comes to an abrupt end with the burning of the Babaz. This film is part of

The practice of using shackles and chains to physically restrain people with mental illness (known as pasung) is widespread in Indonesia (as in many other developing/low middle income countries) and

Award-winning ethnographic caleidoscope featuring over 50 different masquerades of some 13 European countries. Thanks to some careful editing, the underlying structure of European winter masked

The yearly parade of the new recruits is the perfect occasion in which to vent an extraordinarily wide repertoire of traditional songs. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 6 -

A small village in the Slovenian Karst is entirely taken over by the local masks, the so called “Škoromati”. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 7 - THE PASTORAL LEGACY**. The

Throughout western Slovenia, Pust or Pustje are the names given to the Carnival dummy and the same names are also used in the Italian side of the Julian Alps. This film is part of **Carnival King

The Didi of Gljev, in the Dalmatian hinterland, are fully-fledged rams and for the duration a day they act and behave as if they were a single magical flock. This film is part of **Carnival King

The Zanni of central Italy, are the same as the Pulcinella of the South of Italy or the Lachè in the North. They are Carnival heralds, clad in white, with a pointed, ribboned, imposing headpiece.

Joaldunak are “those who resound”, the great bell ringers heralding the Carnival parade between the twin villages of Ituren and Zubieta in the Basque-speaking Spanish Naffaroa. This film is

Two young Afar girls, Fatuma (10) and Asya (13), show us their daily life in two different contexts of the Afar Region in Ethiopia. Both of them face hard challenges: finding an alternative way to

Bagolino and Ponte Caffaro host the largest surviving ensemble of folk violin in the Alps, which makes Carnival a leap back into the Renaissance roots of the violin itself. This film is part of

Jacob arrived in Italy alone from French Guinea when he was 11 years old. Today he is 27, and hip hop music is his whole world: it is his way to express dreams, hopes and frustrations, and to not

In the Catholic, French-speaking part of Belgium, monumental, all-encompassing masquerades take place in the middle of Lent. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 6 - RITUAL

The Gnaga is an old hag, carrying her drunk husband back home in a pannier. This film is part of Carnival King of Europe DVD 5 PARADING THE VILLAGE. On Carnival days, the village is brought back

On the day of the Epiphany, a grand parade half-way between Christianity and paganism is staged, incorporating all the ancient characters of Alpine fables, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the Three

After living in Italy for almost ten years without documents, three Egyptian men - Ali, Mahmoud and Mohamed - are suddenly awarded legal residence. As a whole new world of opportunities open up to

The Koza or Goat is animal that gives the masquerade its name throughout Eastern Europe, from Romania to Moldavia and the Ukraine, and all the way to northern Poland where we filmed it. This film

Dating back 3000 years to the Nuragic civilisation on Sardinia, 'launeddas' are wind instruments that testify to contacts from across the Mediterranean. Although they nearly vanished in the 1960s, in

Every four years, the new recruits in Carano are presented to the community in the midst of a complex carnival ritual called Banderàl. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 6 -

Every four years, the new recruits in Carano are presented to the community in the midst of a complex carnival ritual called Banderàl. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 6 -

The Orthodox New Year’s Eve is marked by the appearance of the Djolomari, the “old ones”, for a long day of ritual, which is both structured and frenetic. This film is part of **Carnival

On the day of the Kukeri, mysterious, impenetrable masks visit every house in Bulgarian Thrace, and end up in the village square for a most persuasive wedding and ploughing ritual. This film is

In eastern Slovenia, an assorted party of masked ploughmen run around each village on Carnival days. In the Slovenian-speaking Italian Benecija, the Blùmari run across the village fields once a

Zvonča in Croatian means “bell” and the Istrian Zvončari are the popular carnival heralds who undertake some challenging walkabouts between neighbouring villages every year - Croatia. This

What happens to African migrants once granted political refugee status? In Turin, a northern Italian city, an abandoned clinic has been squatted by more than 200 refugees since December 2008. Khaled,

In Schignano, in the Lombardy mountains close to the Swiss border, Carlisèp is the local name of the Carnival dummy, who attempts a last minute escape. Carnival trials such as that held in Valda,

Like every year, Corigliano Calabro, a small village in the south of Italy, celebrates Easter: from the investiture of a man to embody Jesus during a night procession, to the passionate debates for

In the Slovenian-speaking Italian Benecija, the Blùmari run across the village fields once a year, just like the Arval Brethren of ancient Rome. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD

After ploughing and sowing, there follows harvesting and threshing, with a very dignified threshing squad ritually touring the village inns. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 4

The film depicts the daily struggle of fishermen to earn a living in a harsh physical environment that brings out the social and economic tensions of modern society. Manning the Priamo are Cola, the

An international team of art restorers, archaeologists and volunteers begin work on the restoration of religious frescoes inside a network of ancient caves. Faced with local bureaucratic challenges

In the Dalmatian island of Lastovo, the Poklad is a monumental, all-encompassing annual celebration. Dressed as XIX C. British marines, the Pokladari escort the captive dummy to its death. This

The old Julian New Year’s Eve on January 13th is still observed and celebrated in some Reformed communities in Outer Appenzell in Switzerland. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD

A celebration of mountain wilderness is all too evident in the costumes of the Silvesters of Urnäsch in Outer Appenzell, particularly in their “Pretty/Ugly” version. This film is part of

In Upper Vinschgau in South Tyrol a highly charged Carnival parade takes place with the specific purpose of “speeding the plough”. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 4 SPEEDING

St. Anthony’s Day marks the first annual outing of the celebrated Sardinian Mamuthones with their blackened shepherd’s outfit, carefully directed by their eternal antagonists, the Issohadores.

On November 11th, great bonfires are lit by the local youth to celebrate the distribution of the annual revenues from the forestry harvest. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 3 -

As an early harbinger of celestial light, St. Nicholas and his mixed company of angels and devils visits every home, to tell children off in the most persuasive of manners. This film is part of

The Schnabelperchten of Rauris in the Salzburger Alps are mysterious, spiteful figures who appear out of nowhere with their brooms, and go round every house to perform a simple and effective

This film depicts the characters, and social dilemmas of three generations of Sardinian mountain shepherds. Although born roughly 20 years apart, Franchiscu (62), his son Pietro (17) and their

Due to the strict Jesuit prohibitions in olden days, the central Tyrol Fasnacht tends to ends on Shrove Thursday, a few days earlier than elsewhere. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe

The memory of an heroic episode of resistance against the Ottomans is re-enacted in Naoussa every year with the parade of an army of Janissaries. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD

The beauty of the village, impersonating a gypsy woman, the Zinghenesta, has the main dancing role in the masquerade. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 5 PARADING THE VILLAGE**.

Patsch is only place in the whole of Tyrol, where a company of women takes on the lead role of the Carnival parade. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 5 PARADING THE VILLAGE**. On

In the heart of Ye Olde England, the first Monday after the Epiphany is still “Plough Monday”, with the ritual parading of a decorated plough and the Morris Dance. This film is part of

Carnival trials such as that held in Valda, in the mountains of Trentino, are commonplace throughout Europe. Death sentence is for granted. This film is part of **Carnival King of Europe DVD 8 -