Mammoth Pictures Developing Folkloric Horror Thriller Based On Bulgarian Tradition Showcased In Docu Short ‘Kukeri’ From Bazuka
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Mammoth Pictures has inked a deal out of Cannes with the Bulgarian production company Bazuka to exclusively develop and produce a narrative feature take on Kukeri, their documentary short produced for The New Yorker which was just unveiled at the beginning of the month. (View it above.) Set to direct the as-yet-untitled new film, described as a folkloric horror thriller, is Mammoth’s Kourosh Ahari (Parallel).
Helmed by Killian Lassablière, the Bazuka doc spotlights an enigmatic Bulgarian tradition known as “Surva” that has united small villages across the country once a year for centuries — a festival that has residents known as “Kukeri” dress up in otherworldly costumes in the hopes of driving away evil spirits.
The animalistic costumes, covering most of the body, are often made from the fur and skins of goats or sheep, and can also include toothed wooden masks — sometimes, peppered with horns, and sometimes, double-faced — with large bells attached to the belt.
Though there is mystery surrounding the origins of the Surva tradition, including why and when it came to be, historians date the first known reference to the tradition around 1,500 years ago.
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