Films

Communion

This 10-minute puppet film describes a spiritual journey through symbols and sounds. What happens when we release rigid beliefs, and open to other truths? What traumas did my ancestors experience, in the expansion of Christianity? How can I hold and heal these ancestors’ stories?

Created with mentorship, support, and funding from Monkeybear Harmolodic Workshop.
Copyright 2022-2023 by Malia Araki Burkhart
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Screenings:
Detroit Puppet Company’s Puppetry and Poetry Festival (2023)
Monkeybear Harmolodic Workshop Filmmakers cohort Presentations (2023)

the creature

This piece began as a poem, then a song. I experimented with Butoh dance and shadow puppetry, sound design and live performance to create the footage for this film. Meditating on racism, white supremacy, and other patterns of oppression that we enact and recreate generation after generation. How are we infected by these patterns, and how can we consciously change them?

“the creature” A Poem-Song and Puppet Film by Malia Araki Burkhart

Created with Funding and Support from: Monkeybear Harmolodic Workshop

Special Thank you to Chamindika Wanduraluga for making this piece possible.

Mentor: Masanari Kawahara

Cinematography: Xiaolu Wang

Puppeteers: Kallie Melvin and Laura Korynta

Dancers: Malia Araki Burkhart and KK

Audio Technician and support:

Thomas Myrmel Filmed at MirrorLab Studios Minneapolis, MN On Oceti Sakowin and Anishinaabe Land

Music: “The Creature” (2015) Poem-Song, Vocals and piano by Malia Araki Burkhart with Soundscapes and Bass Guitar by Thomas Myrmel

www.artsbymalia.com All rights reserved 2023

Screenings:
Detroit Puppet Company’s Puppetry and Poetry Festival (2023)
Puppeteers of America National Convention (2024)

Reflections

This video explores the intersection of ritual, dance, video, and poetry. I filmed at the “quarry” pond on Summer Solstice, 2009 doing improvised movement and Butoh Dance. Afterwards, I free-wrote this poem inspired by the messages I received through my movements with the land and water. I refined this free-write into the poem which appears on the video, and edited the footage with the music. Location flimed: Earthdance, in western Massachussetts. Music by ghost 7.

www.artsbymalia.com All rights reserved 2009.

Wild America

Part “Nature Documentary”, part Butoh Dance, this film explores our relationship with nature.

Screened as part of my performance “The Survival Pages”, presented at Intermedia Arts in 2007 as part of Naked Stages, and in 2008 as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival.  Created and edited by Malia Araki Burkhart.  Music by Imogen Heap and Sigur Ros.

www.artsbymalia.com All rights reserved 2007.