Yemanjá: Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (documentary)

Another film that particularly caught my attention was the hour-long documentary, Yemanjá:  Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (dir.:  Donna Carole Roberts).  Filmed primarily in the province of Bahia, Brazil (whose principal city is Salvador) it tells the story of candomblé, a religion with strong roots in the Afro-Brazilian or Afro-indigenous community.  Candomblé itself is a religion which has been handed down from the African ancestors of its adherents. 


English Promo from Donna Carole Roberts on Vimeo.

The film de-mystifies candomblé, a religion which to me at least seems clearly related to voodoo and santería.  Core values include most importantly a profound respect for nature.  The orishá Yamanjá herself, for example, (orishá meaning deity, spirit, or saint - depending on who you listen to) is particularly associated with the sea.

The documentary also identifies other of the orishá and their several attributes (there is an orishá of plants and leaves, for example), but more importantly, it talks about the religion's strong interest in general ecological concerns, and the role of women.

Women are at the head of this religion.  Older women are especially valued, and in the film, the oldest of them all is the appealing spiritual leader/priestess Mãe Filhinha de Yemanjá-Ogunté, 109 years old when she was interviewed.

Combining fascinating interviews with shots of celebrations, both public and private, Yemanjá also includes images of  beautiful locations including a striking one where we see life-sized statues of the orishá set in the shallows of a popular lake. 

Relevant to those interested in ecology and the role of women, as well as in the African diaspora and Brazil, the film also explains that, with its large following, the adherents to candomblé would like to have their religion put on the same footing as Catholicism, at least in the city of Salvador.  Time will tell whether or not their wish is granted.

NOTE:  the film's narrator is Pulizer-prize winning author Alice Walker;  the cinematographer is Gerald Hoffman (husband of the director).

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Next up:  The Patriarch (Mahana) directed by Lee Tamahori