On the Island of the Dolls in Mexico City, a whole bunch of plastic toys carrying little greater than rags hold from bushes, their glass eyes staring down at guests.
The macabre web site might spook many, but it surely intrigued gothic movie director Tim Burton and pop celebrity Lady Gaga, who used the island because the backdrop for the music video they shot collectively, “The Dead Dance.”
The video for the dance-pop tune exhibits Lady Gaga as one of many a whole bunch of dolls on the island, positioned within the coronary heart of the town’s historic Xochimilco canals, a well-liked vacationer vacation spot.
The web site was constructed by Julian Santana beginning in 1950, utilizing dolls he collected or acquired as donations for greater than half a century till his loss of life in 2001.
“This wall is where the video begins,” mentioned Juan Santana, Julian’s great-nephew, pointing to an outdated hut the place the elder Santana would relaxation after working as a farmer. “If you look now, here it is, [Lady Gaga’s] position looks a bit strange, but it was on this wall.”
The video’s manufacturing was a carefully guarded secret, even from Santana, 38, who oversees the island along with his brothers Cristian and Rogelio.
“We didn’t even know who was coming… in fact, they did not let us be here,” Santana mentioned.
More than 60 individuals had been concerned within the three-day shoot, which took 18 trajinera canal boats to move all of the manufacturing parts, together with cameras, microphones, tents, meals, and extra.
“It was almost like a small town had moved here,” Santana mentioned.
Burton and Gaga’s groups had negotiated to have your complete island and surrounding properties occupied for your complete manufacturing.
The video’s shoot was blocked by tents and guards so as to forestall any leaks, although the music was at instances loud sufficient to be heard by onlookers.
Protective dolls
Contrary to widespread perception, Julian Santana didn’t start gathering and hanging dolls on the island to scare different residing individuals, however useless ones.
Specifically, he felt haunted by the spirit of a younger lady who had drowned within the canals, the place her physique was discovered floating.
The elder Santana claimed to have seen the spirit of the girl pursuing him, terrifying him to the purpose that he now not needed to return to the island.
In the midst of the ordeal, Julian discovered a luxurious doll floating within the water and hung it in a close-by tree to dry off.
“Julian realized that when he hung the doll, he no longer heard the young woman or saw her silhouette,” his grandnephew Juan mentioned.
“So, he took on the task of collecting more dolls from neighbors and relatives.”
This first doll stays on the web site, together with 1,500 others he collected over the course of his life — together with his most prized one, dubbed Agustinita, who sits in a reproduction of a trajinera, a kind of boat present in Xochimilco which resembles an altar.
“Agustinita appears in Lady Gaga’s dancing video,” Santana mentioned with a smile.
On the identical day “The Dead Dance” video premiered, Lady Gaga canceled her live performance in Miami, citing a sudden drawback together with her vocal cords.
Social media grew abuzz with feedback in regards to the supposed “curse of the Xochimilco dolls,” as Gaga could be seen touching and shifting a few of them within the music video.
If there was any curse, nevertheless, none of it was transferred to the Santana household, who’ve seen an inflow of holiday makers to the island.
Mexican followers of Lady Gaga have additionally rushed to go to the positioning the place the pop celebrity filmed her newest visuals.
“This video made me curious to visit and take the opportunity to record a little video [for TikTok],” defined Manuel Montes de Oca, a 28-year-old fan wearing an outfit resembling Lady Gaga’s and performing choreography from the music video in entrance of his mobile phone.
© 2025 AFP