“We have always been fascinated by Day of the Dead and thought what better way to explore it than to document it in a video diary and present as a film by SORT. The festival and Mexico City in general feel very connected to what we do at SORT, both aesthetically and in terms of the nightlife, too. We’ve heard so much about this vibrant underground scene – naturally this was interesting to us, having skulked in the corner of clubs for most of our adult lives.
“The festival itself was an incredible spectacle, as we expected, but we were surprised by how pure it was – not in the sense of being innocent, but in way that it bleeds into every aspect of life there. The most interesting part was the overall tone of it all; you’re told it’s macabre, being so focussed on death, but it’s also an upbeat event, a celebration of past life. It’s also strikingly in-tune with the reality of modern life in a country where the cultural identity has been shaped by colonisation. Through this strange mash-up of cultural touchstones – Catholic saints and pagan magic – these people use partying as a vehicle for both rebellion and reclamation of what has been lost. And who has been lost.
“A warehouse party in Mexico City was definitely a highlight for us. It was one of the best parties we’ve been to in years – we danced away until the early hours of the morning. It was eye-opening to see the sense of inclusivity going on in the underground scene there. In London, or Berlin, or New York, we’re forced into queer and other spaces, either drawn to the safety of the community they offer, or forced from the close-mindedness of the outside world. Here, we stood hunched between besuited bankers and drag queens while a performer used a butcher’s knife as a dildo – and instead of this being the kind of grotesque exchange you’d expect from something like the Box or other, everyone is at the same level, literally huddled together on a dirty factory floor.
“Through this film, we really wanted to show the festival from our own perspective and the way we approach everything as SORT – a connection to the goth in us and the music and underground parties we enjoy. There is something like this for everyone, all over the world. Especially Mexico City! Earlier this year we made a film called Techno Goth about a misunderstood part of London’s underground, one that from the outside seems to dwell in the darkness and seeming severity, that in reality exists as something more like catharsis. We felt that same spirit in this which was oddly moving to find halfway around the world.”
A FILM BY SORT, DIRECTION Joseph Delaney and Matt King, MUSIC Poison Point TEXT Eduardo Caudillo
