“Beyond Noh” by Patrick Smith is a mesmerizing trip through thousands of mask from around the world, including the now ubiquitous Covid-19 protective devices.  The vivid images span dozens of cultures and time periods and shift from one to the next with the beat of a drum.

A life-long mask enthusiast, Smith photographed a majority of the works from museum archives, galleries, and his own collection, with the remaining segment submitted by people around the world.

“Beyond Noh” is screening at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Stuttgart Animation Festival, Florida Film Festival, and Mecal Barcelona Animation Festival. Watch an excerpt below, and stream the full film on Smith’s YouTube channel .