The Undertaker

“Philadelphia – birthplace of American democracy.” A drone camera circles over a local cemetery and captures a handful of dispirited men, dressed in historical uniforms, wandering between the graves. A mysterious female guide with flowing gray hair enters the scene with firm steps. She manages to organize both the soldiers and many young people in a file through the city’s center. As the march progresses, more and more people join the procession. The scene is eerie, as the participants are carrying guns, the barrels of which are covered with red tape. This is not a march calling for a fight, but one promoting peace. At the end, all the people throw their weapons into a freshly dug grave, which the mysterious leader fills up again.
The film The Undertaker refers to a performance by choreographer Noa Eshkoll from 1953, which commemorates the Holocaust. Bartana has turned the memorial to death into an ode to life: “Bury our weapons, not our bodies” is her message. The Undertaker was also presented as part of the Sheffield DocFest program Rebellions.