“Sarpatatwam or The Serpent Wisdom” is a dancer’s portrayal of serpent allure and is the first-ever Indian Classical dance short-doc to have been voted into the contention list of the Oscar Academy Award, 2019
The serpent has long held the fascination of numerous cultures which imbues it with God-like qualities. The serpent is both feared and worshipped in not only Indian culture but across civilisations be it Greek, Egyptian or Chinese.
Through Mohiniyattom, an Indian classical dance form dating back to 17th century, the dancer interprets the serpent’s moves as it coils, unfurls and glides through mysterious spaces. We are transported to another time, where there’s nothing left but the primordial. The archival film is an attempt to preserve Indian philosophy and mysticism through traditional performance and its associated esoteric and representative symbols.
The documentary is unique in real-time performance-filming as it remains true to the artiste’s internalizing of the content, her dissemination through movement, trance and verbal conversation.
