The Hermetic Film Festival curated by Sara Ferro and Chris Weil, a celebration of esoteric cinema, is set to captivate audiences once again from December 27 to 29, 2024. This year’s program promises an eclectic mix of philosophical dramas, surreal experiments, and spiritual documentaries from across the globe, each delving into profound questions of life, death, and the unknown.
More information and tickets | Full program
Competition
The festival offers a feature rich programme with …until after…, a poignant Polish drama about a grieving woman’s journey to reconnect with her deceased partner. The film explores the depths of loss and healing with poetic intensity. From Poland, the lens shifts to the United Kingdom with The Myth of Death, a documentary that demystifies mortality by presenting death as a transitional experience rather than an end, drawing from diverse cultural and spiritual perspectives.
The spirit of transformation continues in Alchemy in Hyde Park, an American drama that intricately weaves the lives of four friends navigating personal growth and past traumas in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Dutch documentary Ans and the Universe takes audiences into the extraordinary life of Ans Hoornweg, a spiritual medium who claims extraterrestrial origins, challenging perceptions of identity and belonging.
Italy’s City of Mermaids offers a vibrant look at the Femminielli, a unique Neapolitan cultural phenomenon embodying gender duality and spiritual significance. In a contrasting dystopian vision, the American short Concrete imagines a world controlled by neurological implants, unraveling a man’s perception of reality after his implant is mysteriously removed.
The Brazilian documentary Divine-Spark follows a 71-year-old bricklayer’s philosophical and spiritual quest, while Dweller, from the United States, plunges into the eerie encounters of paranormal investigators with a mysterious entity. Venezuela’s Fire in Quibayo captures the fiery rituals of the María Lionza celebration, a vivid tradition blending indigenous culture and spiritual devotion.
South Africa’s Gabriel: The Hole Runs After the Rabbit takes a surreal turn as a man questions his sense of déjà vu during a stay at a health spa, while the UK’s Ghosts Moving Flowers and Physical Mediumship delves into the phenomenon of spirits interacting with the physical world, showcasing extraordinary testimonies.
Mexico brings the darkly humorous Gizmo, a black comedy-police procedural hybrid that veers into supernatural paranoia. In How to Escape a Cult, an experimental music video from the United States, a musician faces his inner demons amid the psychedelic rituals of a mysterious group.
Satire and surrealism take center stage in the animated Illuminatus! as a young reporter joins a mad genius on a quest to thwart the Illuminati’s plans. This playful narrative is followed by Myth of the Cave, a UK short that uses evocative animation to depict a child’s confrontation with inner shadows during a sacred ritual.
In the Italian Rosso Veneziano, twins uncover the mystical history of their haunted Venetian home, while Shadow Flame, Shadow Gold; Winds of the West, an American experimental short, transforms a feline’s dance into an evocative meditation on shadow and light.
The philosophical documentary So Below, from Canada, examines the utopian visions of Charles Fourier, blending poetic reflections with cosmic musings. India’s Sri Ramanujar offers a biographical exploration of the revolutionary 11th-century philosopher who challenged social norms and reshaped Hindu spirituality.
The French docu-fable Surviving the Witch reflects on humanity’s exploitation of nature through a filmmaker’s encounter with the spirits of an island. From the UK, Tales of a Space Pirate Coming from the Moon charts the mystical journey of a pirate woman whose visions reveal supernatural truths.
Germany’s Tears of Blood transports audiences to medieval Europe, where a knight and priest uncover a cult’s sinister secrets, while the American Terminal Emulator explores trauma and psychological unraveling in a harrowing sci-fi setting.
Italy’s The Addends questions global power dynamics with a sharp, satirical edge, while Mexico’s The Enchantment of Consciousness chronicles a filmmaker’s dark spiritual awakening through rituals and entheogens.
The Spanish The Fool’s Journey uses the tarot as a metaphor for life’s unpredictability, set against the backdrop of a surreal party. In Australia’s The Hidden Spring, a filmmaker processes grief and displacement through a deeply personal lens.
The animated The Lady of the Labyrinth from Spain revives ancient Minoan mythology to explore humanity’s lost harmony with nature. In the Dutch The Landscape of the Spirit, filmmakers uncover Poland’s spiritual traditions through encounters with mystics and healers.
The American The Metaphysician’s Dream invites audiences into a parallel universe where living toys blur the lines between the physical and metaphysical. In To be or to be?, a Czech tale of Giacomo Casanova’s philosophical wanderings, audiences explore timeless themes of immortality and existence.
Italy’s To Semiramide revisits the life of a clairvoyant who influenced powerful figures of the 20th century, while Belgium’s Try, Tri-Butterfly meditates on creation and transformation in an enigmatic visual narrative.
Bulgaria’s Vaklush chronicles the life of a spiritual leader who defied communist oppression with his teachings of human divinity. The festival closes with the American We Go to Church But We Do Not Speak to God, an experimental exploration of faith and ritual through the tarot.
From intimate dramas to bold experiments, the Hermetic Film Festival’s diverse lineup promises an unforgettable journey into the mystical, philosophical, and extraordinary realms of cinema. Don’t miss this unique cinematic experience!
Special Screening
Embassy of the Free Mind — This feature documentary takes viewers into the heart of Amsterdam’s Embassy of the Free Mind (EFM), the world’s only museum dedicated to the legacy of free thinking. Set in the historic House with the Heads, the film celebrates Amsterdam’s centuries-old tradition as a refuge for intellectuals, artists, and visionaries. The EFM’s centerpiece is the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, a rare book collection recognized by UNESCO’s Memory of the World program.
The documentary weaves together stunning visuals and compelling narratives, showcasing 25,000 rare and once-prohibited books on topics like hermetic wisdom, alchemy, and mysticism. Through these treasures, it traces 12,000 years of global wisdom, 2,000 years of Western philosophy, and 400 years of Amsterdam’s unique heritage of tolerance and intellectual exchange.
