Microfungi take the spotlight in Holy Destructors, the sophomore documentary from Lithuanian director Aistė Žegulytė (Animus Animalis), which will world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which runs Nov. 13-23. THR can now exclusively debut a first trailer for the essayistic doc, which will then go on to the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).
Debuting in the fest’s Envision competition, the film delves deep into the invisible world of organisms that emerge during the decay of organic matter. Merging archival and new footage, Žegulytė shows us growing fungi, taking the audience on a journey through a microscope lens.
“Biodestructors are microfungi that existed millions of years before humans and will likely outlive us,” reads a synopsis of the doc. “Their presence transforms bodies into extraordinary energy that nourishes the soil and gives rise to new life in this endless cycle.”
Explains Žegulytė: “My fascination for fungi started out with the way they decompose organic matter, a process that also works as a bioconstruction. This is the central theme of the film and the reason I was drawn to fungi. They are like magicians of a vanishing world, organically transforming it into something else. It’s as if death and pain take on a new form.”
Holy Destructors was produced by Uljana Kim for Lithuania-based Studio Uljana Kim, France’s To Be Continued Productions, and Latvia’s Studio Locomotive. It was supported by the Lithuanian Film Center, CNC, aide aux cinémas du monde, Institut Français, the National Film Center of Latvia, and LRT. The cinematography is courtesy of Vytautas Katkus.
“We have been working on this film since 2019 and are very happy to finally present it to the audience,” said producer Kim. “Holy Destructors pushes the boundaries of documentary cinema. Aistė Žegulytė has a rare ability to explore complex ideas with poetic precision and visual courage. Working with her means entering a world where science becomes art, and decay reveals creation.”
Check out the trailer for Holy Destructors below to get a first look at fungi, coffins, and crypts, as well as the work of bioarchaeologists and restorers. Get ready to dive into a cosmos of blooming microorganisms!
