Before We Had Faces

By MothMilkverified

Inspired by the Raulane Festival of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, Before We Had Faces is a contemplative short film about identity, tradition, and the faces we hide behind. In a world shaped by an ancient ritual, men veil and adorn themselves, concealing their identities until the final pooja. As the ritual unfolds, the boundaries between the individual and the tradition begin to blur, raising questions about what remains of us beneath the symbols we inherit and the roles we are taught to play. Through an evocative visual world rooted in cultural tradition, the film reflects on the tension between belonging and individuality, asking a simple yet enduring question: who are we before the world tells us who to be?