OPUNTIA

PUNTIA is based on the writings of conquistador turned shaman Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, the first european explorer of Texas and one of the strangest figures in US history. “Cabeza de Vaca got lost in Florida. Over the next eight years he wandered, naked, to the Pacific Ocean and became a shaman along the way. De Vaca is an unusual figure, so i’m using unconventional techniques to tell his story: I’m collaborating with a psychic and practicing mediumship to channel the spirit of de Vaca – who has chosen to communicate through the prickly pear cacti, the plant that saved him from starvation. I want to bring attention to this relatively unknown historical figure and to use de Vaca’s story as a jumping off point for an exploration of transformation. (David Fenster)

In the presence of David Fenster.

DAVID FENSTER, USA/MEXICO/E, 2017, DOCUMENTARIES, 56MIN, OMEU