On a beautiful, sunny day five year old Zizou fell to the ground and died when his heart suddenly stopped. In that moment of losing my son I was thrown into the cold reality of America’s complicated relationship with death. Through animation, "Death and Magic Castles" explores traditions of mourning and loss in different cultures and follows my quest to bring death and life closer together in a culture where mourning is taboo and the goal is to live forever.

Director Biography - Kari Barber
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Kari Barber is a journalist-turned-filmmaker based in Reno, Nevada. Her feature-length documentary debut STRUGGLE & HOPE aired nationally on public television on the series America ReFramed. DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES is her personal story of suddenly losing her son at five years old.