Bride headdress ritual

Bride headdress ritual is historically deeply rooted in a folk culture. The first appearances on the Czech territory are dated back to the 15th century, but the ritual is probably much older. This ritual is still alive in some regions. Some people preserve this tradition, consciously or unconsciously to its history. The ritual itself is important to self determination of the individual.

Wreath, a symbol of virginity, is taken away in an intimate moment, usually accompanied by women and burning candles. An important task is given to the godmother of the bride and to a group of women who style the bride's hair. They unravel the braids, take her wreath and put a bonnet on the bride's head.

The audiovisual record of this phenomenon takes place in an indefinite space-time with an emphasis on the intimate atmosphere of the ritual. The art of Georges de La Tour is used to create the scenes. The contrast in the mise-en-scène is increased by using different lights, a natural light coming from the burning candles, but also an artificial light that stresses the symbolic creation of the woman.

director Jakub Jelen
choreographer David Mikula
director of photography Matěj Piňos
editor Jakub Jelínek
sound mixer Jan Balcar
production manager Zuzana Pelcová