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The story of Thoth, a colorful street performer who recites original music inspired by his mythical world he calls the "Festad." Born into a musical family, Thoth was stirred in a dream to take up playing the violin, and perform (or "prayform", as he puts it) for the world. Garbed in a gold loincloth, chains and ornate headdress, Thoth hopes to initiate a healing process for humanity through his "prayformances". The language of his songs and music is also from the mythical land of the Festad. With a performer's intense passion and energy, Thoth combines singing and dancing which draws from musical roots as diverse as Mozart and Jimi Hendrix.
Thoth began his musical career at an early age, learning how to play the piano. He shied away from practice sessions because the piano was in his home's basement, and the thought of descending into the basement filled him with terror. Instead, he learned to play the violin. By his own account, Thoth was a shy child, and uncomfortable with a mixed racial heritage of West Indian ancestry on his mother's side and Russian Jewish on his father's. Feelings of social rejection for his biracial parentage fueled his sense of isolation, and Thoth turned inwards for solace and inspiration. He ultimately learned to accept the duality of his ethnicity, and this fueled his musical creativity. Thoth eventually developed his "prayformance" routine, incorporating dance and operatic storytelling into his style of presentation.
Thoth currently still performs at his usual venues, his favorite being the Angel Tunnel in Central Park. But, as he points out, his other passionate interests include writing, cooking, dancing and the compilation of an encyclopedia about his world of the Festad.
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Academy Award, Best Documentary Short
