Black Snow

The luminous world of Snow White may contain happy endings and idyllic beauty, but the world of its contemporary film audience was veering towards an untold darkness that few could foresee…

The premiere of Walt Disney’s Snow White in 1937 coincided with one of the darkest periods of world history, when the Great Depression was in full swing and the rise of fascism in Europe was leading towards a disastrous second world war. The story of Snow White has a curiously dualistic relationship with its historical context: while the film protagonist’s dream of a better life clearly mirrored the longings of a world beaten down by economic hardship and uncertainty, the story arc and fairytale ending lay in sharp contrast with the way events were unfolding in the real world, which ultimately ended in catastrophe.

By mixing clips of the Snow White film with historical documentary footage of the suffering, unrest and upheaval experienced across the world, Black Snow aims to create both unity and division through a gradually intensifying rhythm of juxtaposed animated and documentary images, leading towards an explosive climax.