Children’s Game #17: Chunggi

Directed by Francis Alÿs

Reminiscent of male football tricks where a ball is juggled frontally off the knee or foot, Chunggi, popular among Nepalese girls, appears a lot more difficult. It involves a light bundle of leaves, as green and gathered as the school skirts of the players, that is repeatedly thrown up sideways with the outside or the inside of the foot while hopping on the other leg to a firm, fast beat: the girls look like carefree flappers dancing the Charleston. Part of the fun is counting aloud in English. One girl reaches 50. Then, with regretful backward looks, they vanish through the tall wooden portal into their school.