Memory Sweeping Ritual is a video project born from an invitation by researcher Inês Moreira to interpret a series of expeditions conducted across former Soviet republics. During these journeys, a group of researchers encountered numerous abandoned cemeteries and forgotten graves, left for decades without maintenance or visitors.
The work focuses on a recurring, symbolic gesture performed by Inês Moreira: picking up a nearby branch to sweep away the thick layer of snow covering a tombstone. This simple, rhythmic act of cleaning allows names that had been erased by time and the elements to resurface and be remembered, if only for a brief moment. It is a profound ritual of respect and an acknowledgment of those who rest there. My role was to translate these atmospheric encounters into a visual narrative. I compiled six distinct moments of this ritual into a single, cohesive video piece. Through careful editing and pacing, the film emphasizes the tension between the permanence of the stone and the ephemerality of the gesture, aligning with my broader investigation into how we "sew" fragments of the past into the present through visual registration.
TECHNICAL SHEET
Project: Memory Sweeping Ritual
Collaborator/Researcher: Inês Moreira
Role: Film Editor and Visual Narrative Director
Year: 2024 – 2025
Medium: Single-channel Video
Location of Footage: Former Soviet Republics (various sites)
Technical Specifications:
Editing: Rhythmic compilation of six distinct ritualistic events into a linear narrative.
Cinematic Focus: Emphasis on the tactile sound and motion of the branch against snow and stone.
Conceptual Framework: The act of "uncovering" as a temporal bridge; the gesture as a tool for historical reclamation.
Themes: Soviet legacy, forgotten landscapes, ritualistic cleaning, and the restoration of memory through movement.