Zhetiruov Zhangabek. Folklore in Cinema.// 30.11.2011.
In cinema the myths and legends are portrayed with fantastic genres, special effects, and mythological creatures such as elves and orcs in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Mythical creatures usually wear the clothes, which no human would wear (e.g. faun and fairies in Pan’s Labyrinth) and their cinematic reflections look more menacing than depicted by the ancient artists (vampires and werewolves of Van Helsing etc.). Such a depiction style is much closer to computer games and science fiction genre. However, two films screened during the 15th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival dealth with the junction of human and mythical world.
Grímur Hákonarson’s film Summerland (2010) reminds us that the kept the faith mythological creatures Icelanders longer than the other Scandinavian nations. Even in these times, before building a new factory, Icelanders do research to check that the elves do not live in the place. Thus the film Summerland resurrected mythical world themes through the realities of today.
The main character of the film is a modern middle class family that lives in a semi-real, semi-kitsch supernatural world. Mythical sphere is revealed by a woman who sees fairies. The house she lives in has a horror room that looks exactly the same way as any horror room amusement park presents the “other” world. Unbelieving woman’s husband Oscar is trying to earn the family money inviting naive tourists to visit it. Thus, the positions of the characters create a collision of the two worlds which quickly turns into a much deeper conflict. Oscar sells the stone where the elf who protects their family lives, which immediately causes problems for the family. Oscar loses the hope of creating a better existence and has to take a demanding path to restore the previous family welfare. However, the supernatural world has strict rules and human interference could not remain unnoticed so Oscar has to sacrifice something valuable to restore the balance between the worlds.
In Akkyz (2011) Kazakh director Zhanabek Zhetiru recreates the myth of creation in today’s society. He depicts a young girl Aruzhan who carries two eggs and hopes to restore the generation of birds which was destroyed by infection. The convergence of a dream with reality creates the atmosphere of primordial world, along with birds’ noise and folklore songs on the soundtrack.
Aruzhan and her friend Arman dream about better world. One is trying to restore the natural balance, and the other hopes to get rich. However, if you want to create new and better world you must sacrifice something. Thus the creator becomes the victim. Both characters sacrificed something valuable for the creation of the new world.
Both worlds - mythical and human interact with each other in these two films. However, if in “Summerland” both keep a friendly coexistence, while the boundaries between these worlds are much sharper and really incompatible in the film Akkyz. This was emphasized by Arman when he brought out the sick Aruzhan of the medicine-woman’s tent. With this gesture Arman shows disapproval for the treatment of old religious rites. Nevertheless, although the film presents the mythic worldview of two different countries, both of them tell the story of one of the most essential human mechanism – desire for a better and more perfect world.
By Otilija Kerbelyte
Zhetiruov Zhangabek. Folklore in Cinema.// 30.11.2011. http://www.nisimazine.eu/Folklore-in-Cinema.html
