Eliska Lubojatzka

FAMU | Prague, Czech Republic

Eliška Lubojatzká (Czech Republic, 2001) is a filmmaker and audiovisual artist living and working in Prague, Czech Republic. Studying at FAMU, at the Center for Audiovisual Studies, she specializes in filmmaking, directing and audiovisual art. Her works have been a part of several exhibitions, festivals, and screenings. Her first short movie Zagovory was chosen for the finale of Other Visions 2021 competition by the Festival of Film Animation And Contemporary Art and had its premiere at the 25th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. Recently, her main interests oscillate around mythology, transformation and memory.

ZAGOVORY

Czech Republic | 2021 | 6’

Synopsis

In Eastern Slavic mythology, zagovory is a form of verbal folk magic. Users of zagovory can enchant objects or people. This short movie works with the aesthetics of Slavic folklore, body, and natural scenery and transforms their mysterious beauty into comprehensive visuals, supplemented by a voiceover, reading some of the authentic zagovory. It focuses on the process of purification, healing, ritual, the use of the elements of Slavic folklore, and the connection of body and nature. The central visual motifs use a human body surrounded by the natural environment, various objects, elements, and rituals of the purification process.