Luminarias is a short visual documentary that mixes powerful images captured during the two day “Luminarias” fiesta in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, with a rich soundtrack comprised of an original UNKLE score, location sounds and a reading of the Rafael Alberti poem “Galope”.
Using grainy 16mm film, Luminarias portrays the drama, confusion and traditions of the event in a painterly way, while the multi-layered collage of sound design and music and text render the drama of the fiesta. The festival takes place every January and involves “cleansing” horses and their riders as they pass through burning pine brush. Horsemen and women of all ages from infants to octogenarians take part in the purification and despite the dramatic, sometimes scary images Haines has captured here, accentuated by slow-motion photography, there is an overwhelming sense of pride, respect and care that the villagers have towards their animals, as one rider said “Luminarias is something from another world, for me a horse is a King, I understand and love horses”.
Director: Tom Haines
Producer: Ilduara Lamas & Tom Haines
Exec Producer: Tamasin Glasson & James Studholme
Original Soundtrack: UNKLE
DOP: Steve Annis
Sound Recordist: Andy Paddon
Editor: Julian Eguiguren
Sound Design: Sven Taits
Colourist: Ben Rogers
Camera Assistant: Alvaro Gonzalez
Runner: Miguel Costa
