Mahampy, material of life, 2022
“Mahampy is the material of humans, Malagasy, from the time of the ancestors to the latest generation.” In Mahampy, material of life, reed-weaver Ravolasoa Jacqueline explains the significance of mahampy reeds in southeast Madagascar. The mats made from mahampy are a constant, not only across the generations, but throughout the lives of individuals. People are born onto mats, and the dead are wrapped in them. The film follows Jacqueline through the process of making a mat, from harvesting materials to weaving, finishing, and going to market, as she reflects on her craft. It celebrates the relationship between craftswoman and material.
Jacqueline is a wonderful teacher, a clear communicator and has a wealth of skills and knowledge. Despite her local and regional reputation as a master craftswoman, like most women in rural Madagascar, she has never had a platform to share her skills and her story. As an elder, she felt an urgency to communicate the importance of this ancestral tradition and her contribution to it. I was inspired to use film to create a space for her to share some of her story in her own words.
When editing the film, my intentions were to emphasise the relationships between craftswoman, process and materials. The narratives we typically hear about Madagascar are about environmental degradation and poverty. While these are important issues, local people also have many positive stories which get little exposure. I hope that the viewer will see a story of skill, mastery, dedication, history and beauty that reflects a universal experience of craft practice.
Gny Rary Tsihy Tsy Enganay**(We’re not leaving the mat weaving), 2022
“Embroidery is good, there is money, but we’re not leaving the mat weaving”, Razafindratina Vohirana Aimee Olga explained, “we speak of weaving in our embroidery”. Despite not having woven for six years, she maintained the identity of a weaver alongside being an embroiderer. This film explores the perspectives of nine embroiderers from the Stitch Sainte Luce embroidery cooperative in southeast Madagascar as they consider embroidery, weaving, and the relationship between the two crafts. They reflect on how they have built new embroidery practices, their creative challenges and approaches, the stories their embroidery tells and the wider transitions their community is undergoing. It is intended to illustrate the of embroiderers’ interests, practices and viewpoints, and was made with embroiderers who were keen to share their ideas on film.