Every January, in the village of San Bartholme De Pinares in Spain, the locals participate in a 500 year old Christo-Pagan ritual of purification by fire and smoke. This involves "cleansing" horses and their riders (of all ages) as they pass through burning pine brush. This has evolved from a purification ceremony around the time of the Great Plague.

Tom and Steve spent a week filming in and around the cobblestoned village, interviewing residents in the build up to the festivities. "I think they fully believe in the purification element," Tom told Nowness. "Pregnant women jump with horses through fire, guys clutching six-month-old babies. That aspect of it certainly is fundamental."

Using grainy 16mm film, Luminarias portrays the drama, confusion and traditions of the event in a painterly, expressive way, while the multi-layered collage of sound design and music and text render the drama of the fiesta.

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