BARDO is a conjuring and a conversation between the dying and the grieving. It challenges dominant narratives around death and explores the transition states of dying, of grieving, of a relationship moving from the physical plane to existing, maybe (we hope), somewhere else. Reckoning with the lack of guideposts, the emptiness and loneliness after a death, and with the active process of filling that space, of making a map where there is none, BARDO is a look at our desire to find connection in known & familiar spaces, & the journey, when those are gone, to find connection elsewhere.
Original score by Ahmond
Filmmaker Sophia Wright Emigh
In the process of making this work, the idea of the bardo provided necessary structure, support, and guidance. It is the foundation on which the dynamics, ritual, and practice of this piece is built. The term bardo came into my awareness via the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In that tradition, bardo is a transition, and is commonly used to describe the intermediate state between death and rebirth. This work uses bardo as a guiding principle with respect and deep gratitude to the culture to whom it belongs. This work would simply not exist without it.
Funded in part by the Regional Arts and Culture Council
The film is supported by funds from the Oregon Arts Commission
