SYNOPSIS

[EN] M. V. Ambujakshi leads a double-life. On most days, she is a sweeper at the local post office, but on others, she is a goddess to many. Theyyam is a subaltern ritualistic performance art form native to Kerala, South India, traditionally performed by men, who also embody female deities. The sole exception is Devakoothu (dance of the goddess), the only Theyyam performed by a woman. M.V. Ambujakshi is the current practitioner of Devakoothu, carrying forward a lineage of women from the Malayan caste—historically marginalized yet ritually ordained to perform this sacred role.This 19-min documentary follows Ambujakshi in the days leading up to her performance, offering an intimate portrait of a working-class, subaltern woman entrusted with the sacred role of embodying the divine. It is also a broader reflection on how ritual performance becomes a means for marginalised communities to reclaim cultural space within the living tradition.

GÉNÉRIQUE

• Réalisation

  Vyshakh Thaliyil

• Production

  Vyshakh Thaliyil

• Référent(e)

  Vyshakh Thaliyil

• Vente

  Vyshakh Thaliyil