Writer/Director/Producer Nisha Inalsingh in her quiet yet thoroughly thought-provoking film, Huldufolk 102, transports us to a far-away land filled with wizened, salt-of-the-earth characters, otherworldly natural phenomenon, and...fairies?...angels?...or merely people quite like us living in another dimension?
But this is not a fairy tale, it is a documentary. The place, the "characters", and (one can only assume) the Huldufolk are all very, very real. By allowing the locals to reveal themselves and their shared belief through personal stories and anecdotes within their very distinct individual surroundings, we discover how far-reaching and diverse is this population of believers. The fanciful stories of local children combined with observations by elders of different levels of education, profession, life-experience, and world-weariness makes the belief they all share impossible to ignore or dismiss. It is entirely touching to witness civic planners and authorities completely and willingly deferring to their neighbors' shared belief, especially in our world of eminent domain.
Beyond charming, Huldufolk 102 may prompt one to question the concept of shared belief only to conclude that the most powerful connection between people may be their mutual faith in what is beyond understanding, explanation, or human comprehension.
But this is not a fairy tale, it is a documentary. The place, the "characters", and (one can only assume) the Huldufolk are all very, very real. By allowing the locals to reveal themselves and their shared belief through personal stories and anecdotes within their very distinct individual surroundings, we discover how far-reaching and diverse is this population of believers. The fanciful stories of local children combined with observations by elders of different levels of education, profession, life-experience, and world-weariness makes the belief they all share impossible to ignore or dismiss. It is entirely touching to witness civic planners and authorities completely and willingly deferring to their neighbors' shared belief, especially in our world of eminent domain.
Beyond charming, Huldufolk 102 may prompt one to question the concept of shared belief only to conclude that the most powerful connection between people may be their mutual faith in what is beyond understanding, explanation, or human comprehension.