Blót - 2026

Director - Cinematographer - Composer - Producer - Writer

Blót is a short film I am working on for my undergraduate senior capstone project. Having spent the last 4 years studying documentary, ethnography, and a minor in Nordic Studies, I chose to create a piece that could represent the intersect of all of these disciplines. I want the film to explore how embodied, communal experiences might be reimagined within a modern cinematic context.

The project responds to a contemporary condition in which connection is increasingly mediated through screens and individualized experiences, often displacing forms of shared, embodied gathering. The film emphasizes what is lost when communal rituals, once central to collective life, are no longer practiced as lived, sensory events. Historically, rituals such as blót functioned as more than symbolic acts; they fostered survival through cooperation, reinforced social bonds, and provided spiritual grounding and a shared sense of identity. This film reimagines such a gathering as an experiential space where these functions can be felt rather than simply observed.

Drawing from anthropology, archaeology, and literature discussing Old Norse culture, Blót constructs a sensory interpretation of ritual through image and sound. The film blends traditional and historical elements such as percussive rhythms with modern synthetic sound design and experimental visual techniques. Layered lighting, color, and movement interact with the soundscape to create an immersive atmosphere that shifts between the ancient and the contemporary.

Equipment Used: Sony FX30 - DJI Mini 5 Pro - RØDE Caster Pro

Software Used: Adobe Premiere Pro - After Effects - Davinci Resolve - Logic Pro

Credits

The Seeress - Ollie Stanford

Casting/Grip - Danielle Olivieri

Composer/Producer/Cinematographer - Zach Chagnon

Writer/Director - Zach Chagnon