Coronet Inside Out: Zadoc Nava

The Snowman (2020) is a portrait of a unique individual and a meditation on loss and memory by British filmmaker and photographer Zadoc Nava, commissioned for Coronet Inside Out.

The film presents a nuanced picture of his father, the Mexican artist José Nava, over a period that spans several decades up until his father’s recent death. With echoes of Mexico’s Day of Dead festivities, the work is a moving and irreverent celebration of his father’s tumultuous life, and touches on a pervasive reluctance in Western culture to confront the shadow of death.

“The Snowman was a chance to wind up a visual conversation with my dad that began a long time ago. He was, and remains, a big presence in my life, even now that he’s gone. Despite the sadness, making the work and looking back at the material, was incredibly rewarding – the experience was unexpectedly life-affirming.” – Zadoc Nava

The Snowman is a stand-alone work but can be seen as a companion piece to Big Fish (1995), Zadoc’s earlier, award-winning short film about his father and their complex relationship (available to watch here https://www.zadocnava.com/dir.html).