“Day of the Dead” Documentary by Charles & Ray Eames

In 1957, American designers Charles and Ray Eames made a documentary film “Day of the Dead”. Financed by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, “Day of the Dead” was shot in collaboration with the Museo Nacional de Artes e Industrias Populares and researcher-photographers Deborah Sussman, Susan Girard and Alexander Girard. A fourteen-minute short documentary, “Day of the Dead” provided a unique perspective on the material culture and popular arts embedded in the celebration.

Following the aesthetics of traditional arts: sugar-skull making, mask design and food preparation, the Eames featured the aesthetic elements central to the popular tradition. In a still unparalleled fashion, the 1957 “Day of the Dead” reclaimed the festivity as an art event.