‘The life of a flower echoes the rhythm of existence.’ Director Lukas Tielke has captured the beauty and the deep-rooted tradition of a Spanish festival in his short film ‘MAYA’. The film focuses not so much on the aesthetic splendor of the festival per se, but much more on the strength and the discipline of the young girls known as the Mayas. Tielke’s short film is themed upon a love of and connectedness to nature as well as the special power of flowers as seen from the perspective of a former Maya looking back on her earlier life.
‘In the garden of life, each flower is reborn as a testament between the seed and the earth.’ ‘MAYA’ is an homage to the vibrant culture of the small Spanish village of Colmenar Viejo – bringing the essence of this unique festival to the big screen. Among the competitors at the BERLIN COMMERCIAL Festival in late August, the film was produced by the production company Peoplegrapher in collaboration with FALCA.
The ‘La Maya’ festival takes place each year on 2 May. In honor of springtime, young girls aged six to fifteen are chosen as ‘Las Mayas’. During the festival, the girls sit on elaborately decorated provisional altars. They must remain completely silent yet celebratory. A duty which demands of the girls extreme discipline, particularly because the atmosphere is so charged with festivity by all the dancers, musicians and passers-by watching in sheer wonder.
The setting of the Maya Festival resembles a painting that has come to life – in which the elaborately adorned altars take center stage alongside traditional Spanish food, wine and sweets. The festival dates back to the 16th century and symbolizes a deep bond with the cultural heritage of the region.
Lukas Tielke’s style is marked by a highly dynamic and emotive visual language; a signature seen throughout his commercial work, from fashion to car spots. Capturing authentic human moments is front and center in Lukas’s films, depicted in captivating images. His background as a self-taught filmmaker enables him to take a hands-on approach to directing, and affords him the skills to work in a wide range of environments. Further work can be seen via the link below.
GoSee : lukastielke.com
CREDITS
director. Lukas Tielke
cinematographer. Anna Smoronova
production company. peoplegrapher
co-production. Falca
executive producer. Marc Stemmer
executive producer. Jack Daniel-Dempsey
producer. Marta Muntané
production manager. Júlia Ayala
location manager. Albert Almario
prod. assistant. Lucia Perez Prat
prod. coordinator. Maria Badía
1st ac. Arkaitz Latorre-Pinedo
2nd ac. Sandra Pascu
gaffer. Xavier Bouzas
sound technician. Diego Faucheaux
creative. Alexander Norek
editor. Alan Moss
color grading. Marina Starke
vfx. Uwe Malony
