Synopsis
At the margins of a city somewhere in the south of Europe, a young couple start their day with their job routine: collecting deceased pets from their owners in order to cremate them and return their ashes. In this endless life cycle, human beings and animals coexist harmoniously, until the couple causes a roadkill themselves. Set against a visually stunning and desolate landscape with an eerie sensuality, Kala azar is a film about death and life itself.
Filmmaker
Janis Rafa
Lives and works between Amsterdam and Athens. She completed her education in Fine Art (BA, MA, PhD) at the University of Leeds. Her body of work spans from experimental moving image practices, to video-essays, sculptures, environmental installations, cinematic narratives and most recently medium and feature length films. Her work is part of the following collections: Stedelijk Museum, Centraal Museum, Museum Voorlinden.
Filmography: Kala azar (2020), This Thin Crust of Earth (curt, 2016), Winter Came Early (curt, 2015), Whoever Owns the Ground, From the Depth of the Earth to the Height of the Sky (curt, 2015), Untitled (curts, 2015), There She Blows (curt, 2015)
Awards
Special mention
ROTTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL
KNF Award
THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL
Best Location
Poster
