ABOUT THE PROJECT
LOGLINE
Black Indian Chiefs and Queens of New Orleans are racing to get their beaded suits ready for Mardi Gras. It is a battle for the survival of this politically charged artistic tradition.
SYNOPSIS
As every year, Black Indians Queen Kelly, Chief and Queen Banister, and Chief Melancon are working against the clock to finish their suits. And as every year on Mardi Gras Day, together with their tribes they will parade the streets of their neighborhoods in their elaborate feathered and beaded suits to honor those Native Americans who gave refuge to their enslaved African ancestors. It is New Orleans’ most dynamic party, a commemoration of history, and a vivid display of art as resistance.
Yet, this year is different, because the survival of the Black Masking tradition is in peril:New Orleans is experiencing severe cash-flow problems, and Black Indians are struggling with increased costs of living and tariffs that make feathers unaffordable to many. As funding to preserve vanishing wetlands has been cut, New Orleans is facing an acute environmental crisis. Low-lying Black neighborhoods, where many Indians (their preferred name) reside, are particularly vulnerable to flooding. High cancer rates caused by toxins from petrol factories in nearby so-called cancer alley affect the Black community and Indians disproportionately. As older Indians are aging out, fewer young Indians are masking or are blending with pop culture to make it more sustainable. These changes have divided Indians over commercializing the tradition, protecting its essence, and ways to ensure its future.
In this moment of crisis, MAGIC IN THE STREETS accompanies the Queens and Chiefs on their path to Mardi Gras. From obtaining feathers to beading, drum practice, and frenzied last moments, the film captures each step of the process. Along the way, told by Indians the way it was passed down in their communities, MAGIC IN THE STREETS explores the history of this artistic tradition that has bolstered the Black community since the late 19th century.
PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature
DIRECTOR Sascha Just
PRODUCER Sascha Just
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