An ancient tradition from South Wales. The MARI LWYD. A short documentary from the perspective of the very beings that arrive with the Mari Lwyd every winter solstice.

Director Biography

An MA graduate of documentary from the University of South Wales, award winning documentary filmmaker (Royal Television Society, International Film Festival of Wales), Charlie Grayson.

Directors’ Statement

I’m an independent documentary filmmaker from South Wales and I decided to make this film because of my love for horror and folklore. With the Mari Lwyd I had the opportunity to make a hybrid documentary and try something new. Something that I hadn’t done before.

I was inspired by the Bulgarian documentary ‘Kukeri’. This film was exactly what I set out to do, but with a lower budget. The final film is a hybrid between, animation and interviews of members from the Llantrisant Folk Club, who celebrate the Mari Lwyd annually.

Instead of making a film about a folk club I wanted to focus solely on the tradition, so I interviewed each member in their character that they would portray during the day of celebration. Aiming to transport the viewer back in time to when the tradition was at it’s peak. I wanted the film to have a timeless feel to reflect this.