The spirit worlds of Peru and South Africa come together in Caroline Mackintosh’s short film ‘Neska Neska’. The work stems from the director’s time in the Amazon rainforest where she and her partner were studying under Maestro Rono Lopez, a specialist in Curandero plant medicine. Moved by the dance of spirits known as neska neska in the Shipobo language, they took an Icaro composed by Lopez to shape into their own instrumentation. He then gave them his blessing for her musical project Astra Laguna to record it. The song has gone on to form the heart of this audio-visual feast shot in the Klein Karoo earlier this year.

“Our central idea was to create a captivating and immersive experience that explores the profound impact of music on the human spirit,” Mackintosh explains. “Drawing from the essence of the song and various beliefs of the spirit worlds, we produced this ethereal dance performance piece.”

With imaginative costumes by Gavin Mikey Collins and performances by fellow Cape Town creatives Phoenix Chase-Meares, Gita Galina and Caefus Tladi, “Neska Neska’ comes alive in a surreal yet familiar landscape. “The narrative follows three mystical beings who are stirred and empowered by the song, embodying the movements it evokes within them,” Mackintosh continues. “As we journey alongside them, we witness a timeless exploration of their connection to forces greater than themselves, showcasing moments of both contraction and expansion before finally unifying as one.”