|
The documentaries, related with the exhibition Prayers for Saints and Orishas present the history of African religions in
Latin America, their intermingling with
Catholicism and with each other, and the ways that the faithful communicate
with their gods.
The Africans who were brought to the Americas
were stripped of their land, their possessions, and their freedom. However,
they carried with them a very important resource that helped them survive
the suffering of slavery and the trauma of being uprooted from their homes:
their religious traditions. These new forms of the old African faiths are
the product of years of cross-fertilization and mutual influence between
the Africans of various nationalities who found themselves in the common
situation of slavery, and with the Catholic religion of their new homes.
The survival of these religions is an amazing feat
of cultural and spiritual resilience.
Tuesday May 29th, 7pm. 2
documentaries
Aché Moyuba Orisha
Dir. Cristina González Gallardo. Cuba,
1990, 42 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles
It is through a blend of cultures ranging from
European to African, and even dashes of Indian and Chinese, that Cuba
has forged its unique and multi-faceted identity. The same is true of Cuba's
diverse religious traditions: Catholicism, Santería,
and Spiritism, Among many others. This engrossing
documentary shows the intricate hybrids, such as Santería,
that have evolved through the fusion of African and European faiths, and
the continued ties between the Catholic Church and Santería
in a nation where many profess both religions simultaneously without
contradiction .
Nganga Kiyangala
Dir. Tato Quiñones & Luis
Soto. Cuba, 1991, 33 minutes. Spanish with English
subtitles.
Cuba was a site of the massive importation of enslaved
Africans, who carried their spirituality with them to the New
World. Although many people confuse the variety of religious
and cultural traditions that came from Africa to Cuba, there is an incredible
diversity that continues to be practiced today. This detailed documentary
untangles the ties between the Santería religious
practices of the Yoruba people, the Abakuá sects
of the people of the Calabar, and the Nganga, Mayombe, and Palo
Monte religions of the Bantu-speaking peoples of central Africa - known in Cuba as Congo. All of these religions
are very fluid, and adherents of one often practice another as well, but
each has a solid core.
Next two documentaries on June 5th :
Pierre Fatumbi Verger: Messenger
Between Two Words and Voices of the Orishas.
At CCE. Free admission.
Limited capacity.
|
