Socrates Sculpture Park showed a documentary, FOREST OF THE DANCING SPIRITS as a part of outdoor cinema 2014.

Outdoor cinema is the one of the most popular summer activities in New York. My neighborhood park, Socrates Sculpture Park is also organizing outdoor cinema. They show international films most of which are very rare to see.  I saw a documentary, FOREST OF THE DANCING SPIRITS, directed by Linda Västrik last week. The movie was amazing as well as prescreening music played by Nkumu Isaac Katalay & The “Life Long Project” Band.

Deep within one of the world’s last untouched rainforests lives the Yaka/ Mbendjele tribe, a group of hunter-gatherers from the Congo Basin, who are about to discover the Western world’s intense lust for “progress.” Beyond just an ethnographic study, award-winning filmmaker Linda Västrik imbues each lush frame with humor, heartbreak and vibrant storytelling.

What this documentary makes so unique is that she focused mainly women’s life. Because of that, I could connect to the story easily. Fun part of watching this documentary at park is while I was watching jungle scene, I was also seeing the trees by the screen.  I was feeling as if I am in a jungle!