Ganpati: Sacred in the Making

Ganpati: Sacred in the Making by Eugenio Giorgianni is an observational film that immerses us in the devotional rituals of the Ganesha festival as practiced by the Mauritian diasporic community in the city of Palmero. The film follows the unfolding of the festival at the temporary shrine of a woman called Terry: from the initial preparations and the ritual sequence of mantras, music and dance, through the movement of the statue of Ganesha through the city and its immersion in the sea, to the final ritual acts and dismantling of the shrine. Featuring sequence shots that bring attention to the vibrant materiality and sonic texture of the festival, the film reveals how sacred space is forged through sensory experience and how it extends into the digital sphere and transnational networks as participants record and share performances on their mobile phones.