three sparks

three sparks is an intimate picture of village life in Albania, carefully made by an outsider. Mexican/American artist Naomi Uman lived and documented life in rural Ukraine. Inspired by having seen her experimental non-fiction films portraying village life, she was invited to create a portrait of life in Albania. This took her to Rabdisht, a village perched high in the mountains, where people farm the rocky, vertiginous land.

As with her earlier films, such as her subtle portrayal of dairy farmers from rural Mexico in Leche (IFFR 1999, 2004), Uman’s approach in three sparks is deeply personal, foregrounding the handmade and textured aesthetic which has become her signature. Presented in three parts, the film reflects on the artist’s position as a woman and a foreigner in a traditional and patriarchal society.

Her work is attentive particularly to the lives of the women and children she meets. Quoting from the Kanun, a book of laws and customs dating from around 1450, Uman explores ideas of gender and gender fluidity, using herself as an example, intermittently appearing on screen. Her commitment to her project in spite of personal adversity is profound, unfolding in tandem with the duties of various villagers, who plough fields, prepare food and raise animals.

– Imogen Greenhalgh