Browse Titles - 111 results
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Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia, Ritual Burdens
directed by Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016; produced by Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016, Elemental Productions, in Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2011), 25 mins
Ritual Burdens is part of the Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia series of ethnographic films on severe mental illness in Indonesia, based on material drawn from 12 years of person-centered research by director and anthropologist Robert Lemelson.
The film focuses on Ni Ketut Kasih who has lived he...
Sample
directed by Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016; produced by Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016, Elemental Productions, in Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2011), 25 mins
Description
Ritual Burdens is part of the Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia series of ethnographic films on severe mental illness in Indonesia, based on material drawn from 12 years of person-centered research by director and anthropologist Robert Lemelson.
The film focuses on Ni Ketut Kasih who has lived her whole life surrounded by the complex rhythms of the Balinese ritual calendar. Here, participation in ritual events is both a spiritua...
Ritual Burdens is part of the Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia series of ethnographic films on severe mental illness in Indonesia, based on material drawn from 12 years of person-centered research by director and anthropologist Robert Lemelson.
The film focuses on Ni Ketut Kasih who has lived her whole life surrounded by the complex rhythms of the Balinese ritual calendar. Here, participation in ritual events is both a spiritual mandate and social obligation for women who spend countless hours crafting offerings. Ni Ketut's masterful hand has contributed to her status as a highly respected ceremonial leader. However, the pressures of ritual requirements often overwhelm her, crowding her mind with memories of her difficult childhood during Indonesia's war for independence. This may trigger Ketut's bi-polar disorder episodes, for which she has been hospitalized over 35 times. Ni Ketut's case reveals the binding associations that may make certain burdens unbearable as cultural obligations, traumatic historical events, and personal experience overlap in unique schemas of stress that trigger cyclical episodes of mental illness.
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Date Written / Recorded
1997
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016, Ketut Kasih, Elemental Productions
Author / Creator
Robert Lemelson, fl. 1999-2016
Date Published / Released
2011
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Series
Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia
Topic / Theme
Balinese, Bipolar disorder, Religious rites and ceremonies, Cultural norms, Mental illnesses, Ethnography
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2011 by Documentary Educational Resources
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African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask
written by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014, Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973 and Thomas D. Blakely; directed by Thomas D. Blakely and Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1974), 18 mins
The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used.
Sample
written by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014, Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973 and Thomas D. Blakely; directed by Thomas D. Blakely and Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1974), 18 mins
Description
The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The carver, a blacksmith, finds the proper tree and, in a secret cave outside the village, he shapes the mask with ges...
The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The carver, a blacksmith, finds the proper tree and, in a secret cave outside the village, he shapes the mask with gestures which repeat the movement of the dancers who will wear it. When a dancer wears the Kanaga mask he becomes the Creator symbolically. He touches the ground with his mask and directs a soul to Heaven. Although these dances are now frequently performed for the public, the meaning of Kanaga is retained by the Dogon who fear, respect and depend on the power of the mask.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014, Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973, Thomas D. Blakely
Author / Creator
Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014, Eliot Elisofon, 1911-1973, Thomas D. Blakely
Date Published / Released
1974
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Dogon, Costumes, Crafts, Tribal and national groups, Religious faiths, Dance and dancing, Religious rites and ceremonies, Cultural identity, Ethnography
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by Documentary Educational Resources
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Altar of Fire
written by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 and J. F. Staal, fl. 2010; directed by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 and J. F. Staal, fl. 2010; produced by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 45 mins
This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Vedic ritual of sacrifice dating back 3,000 years and probably the oldest surviving human ritual.
Sample
written by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 and J. F. Staal, fl. 2010; directed by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 and J. F. Staal, fl. 2010; produced by Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 45 mins
Description
This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Vedic ritual of sacrifice dating back 3,000 years and probably the oldest surviving human ritual. This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Ve...
This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Vedic ritual of sacrifice dating back 3,000 years and probably the oldest surviving human ritual. This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Vedic ritual of sacrifice dating back 3,000 years and probably the oldest surviving human ritual. Long considered extinct and never witnessed by outsiders, the ceremonies require the participation of seventeen priests, involve libations of Soma juice and oblations of other substances, all preceded by several months of preparation and rehearsals. They include the construction, from a thousand bricks, of a fire altar in the shape of a bird. Around 1500 B.C., nomads who spoke an Indo-European language entered India and evolved a complex ritual involving the cults of fire and Soma, a hallucinogenic plant that grew in the Western Himalayas. Their Vedic language developed into Sanskrit, the classical language of Indian civilization. Among the later religions of India, Hinduism accepted and Buddhism rejected the Vedic culture. But both retained many of its ritual forms and recitations. Some of these have traveled all over Asia. Agni, the fire, is still worshipped with the help of Vedic mantras in Japanese Buddhist temples. In India itself, the preservation of the Agnicayana, though partly explained by the extraordinary conservatism of the Vedic Brahmins and their dedication to the culture of their spiritual ancestors, remains one of the miracles of history.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014
Author / Creator
Robert G. Gardner, 1925-2014, J. F. Staal, fl. 2010
Date Published / Released
1976
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Nambudiri, Cultural change and history, Linguistics, Anthropology, Vedas, Religion, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography
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Apu Condor (The Condor God)
written by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005; directed by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005; produced by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 30 mins
A unique and highly visual documentary that provides a detailed observation of the sacred Peruvian 'Yawar Fiesta of the Apu Condor'.
Sample
written by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005; directed by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005; produced by Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 30 mins
Description
A unique and highly visual documentary that provides a detailed observation of the sacred Peruvian 'Yawar Fiesta of the Apu Condor'. A unique and highly visual documentary that provides a detailed observation of the sacred Peruvian "Yawar Fiesta of the Apu Condor". The Fiesta takes place high in the Peruvian Andes in the tiny village of Cotabambas, an impoverished farming community where all the contradictions that characterize Peru's splintered...
A unique and highly visual documentary that provides a detailed observation of the sacred Peruvian 'Yawar Fiesta of the Apu Condor'. A unique and highly visual documentary that provides a detailed observation of the sacred Peruvian "Yawar Fiesta of the Apu Condor". The Fiesta takes place high in the Peruvian Andes in the tiny village of Cotabambas, an impoverished farming community where all the contradictions that characterize Peru's splintered culture and economy are thrown into relief. Five hundred years after the arrival of Columbus and the Spanish Conquistadores, the indigenous Andinos, descendents of the Incas still live under the feudal control of their Mestizo Landowners, the mixed blood descendents of the Spanish. The themes of social stratification, ritual reversal and political relationships are an integral aspect of this film which culminates in a dramatic adaptation of the classic Spanish bullfight.
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Field of Study
Politics & Current Affairs
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005, Noemi Delgado, Juri Ortiz, Father Giacomo Bonaita, Julio Delgado, Rafo Montesinos, Dimas Gamarra
Author / Creator
Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005
Date Published / Released
1992
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
Gianfranco Norelli, fl. 1980-2005
Topic / Theme
Peruvian, Politics, Religious festivals, Social strata, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography, Peruvians
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
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Bridewealth for A Goddess
written by Andrew J. Strathern; directed by Chris Owen, 1980-; produced by Chris Owen, 1980-, Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2000), 1 hour 12 mins
The film documents the last performance of the ritual for the fertility goddess Amb Kor, in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Shot over a period of approximately 15 years, the anthropologists and filmmakers have been participant-observers during a time of pivotal change for the clans of the Kavel...
Sample
written by Andrew J. Strathern; directed by Chris Owen, 1980-; produced by Chris Owen, 1980-, Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2000), 1 hour 12 mins
Description
The film documents the last performance of the ritual for the fertility goddess Amb Kor, in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Shot over a period of approximately 15 years, the anthropologists and filmmakers have been participant-observers during a time of pivotal change for the clans of the Kavelka tribal group. The film is narrated by the headman, Ru, who speaks directly to us about the clans recent problems, infant mortality,...
The film documents the last performance of the ritual for the fertility goddess Amb Kor, in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Shot over a period of approximately 15 years, the anthropologists and filmmakers have been participant-observers during a time of pivotal change for the clans of the Kavelka tribal group. The film is narrated by the headman, Ru, who speaks directly to us about the clans recent problems, infant mortality, and decision to return to previously abandoned tribal territories. The film documents the last performance of the ritual for the fertility goddess Amb Kor, in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Shot over a period of approximately 15 years, the anthropologists and filmmakers have been participant-observers during a time of pivotal change for the clans of the Kavelka tribal group. The film is narrated by the headman, Ru, who speaks directly to us about the clans recent problems, infant mortality, and decision to return to previously abandoned tribal territories. The arrival of the ancient female spirit Amb Kor comes to him in a dream and he is convinced that in order to regain their former strength and health the clans must perform this ritual for the Goddess. One clansmen tells us that the Lutheran church condemns the cult ritual as the work of the devil but that the Catholic missionaries are more supportive. In the end, participation in the ritual by anyone who has been baptized in the Christian church is forbidden. Meat distribution, clan alliances, and the symbolic bridewealth for the Goddess are observed. Near the end of the film we see a distinctly older Ru watching the ritual on a monitor, and 14 years later young men are no longer interested in carrying on the clan traditions.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Andrew J. Strathern, Ru Kundil, Chris Owen, 1980-, Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
Author / Creator
Andrew J. Strathern, Chris Owen, 1980-
Date Published / Released
2000
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Kawelka, Religious beliefs, Childbirth, Gender roles, Cultural change and history, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography, Melpa
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A Brief History of the Garifuna in Belize
written by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006; directed by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006; produced by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2006), 23 mins
The Garifuna are a Central American people of West African and Native American descent. One of their most popular rituals is wanaragua, a three-fold system of masked Christmas processionals commonly called Jankunú. This ritual is a unique blend of African, European, and Native American (Arawak and Carib) art trad...
Sample
written by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006; directed by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006; produced by Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 2006), 23 mins
Description
The Garifuna are a Central American people of West African and Native American descent. One of their most popular rituals is wanaragua, a three-fold system of masked Christmas processionals commonly called Jankunú. This ritual is a unique blend of African, European, and Native American (Arawak and Carib) art traditions in which social and cultural identities are expressed through music, dance, and costume. The Garifuna are a Central American peo...
The Garifuna are a Central American people of West African and Native American descent. One of their most popular rituals is wanaragua, a three-fold system of masked Christmas processionals commonly called Jankunú. This ritual is a unique blend of African, European, and Native American (Arawak and Carib) art traditions in which social and cultural identities are expressed through music, dance, and costume. The Garifuna are a Central American people of West African and Native American descent. One of their most popular rituals is wanaragua, a three-fold system of masked Christmas processionals commonly called Jankunú. This ritual is a unique blend of African, European, and Native American (Arawak and Carib) art traditions in which social and cultural identities are expressed through music, dance, and costume. As dancers adorn themselves in colorful regalia to mimic past foreign oppressors they symbolically affirm their identity. Rare footage of wárini, the now extinct ritual that is the Africanized predecessor to wanaragua, is accompanied by commentary on the significance of the ritual. Examples of wanaragua drumming and dance styles demonstrate how drummers rhythmically interpret the unique movements of each dancer. Gender play and role reversal become part of the revelry as Garifuna men mimic European women. Images of similar processionals in other locations include photos of Masquerade in St. Kitts-Nevis, Gombey in Bermuda, Jonkonnu in Jamaica, John Kuner (now extinct) in North Carolina, Junkanoo in the Bahamas, and Fancy Dress in Ghana. Jankunú Play places the viewer within the context of the Garifuna world at Christmas where music, dance, and art reflect the past to empower the future.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006, Angel "Pappose" Thomas, Darren Trigueño, Brian Castillo
Author / Creator
Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006
Date Published / Released
2006
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
Oliver N. Greene, Jr., fl. 2006, Brian Castillo
Topic / Theme
Garifuna, Costumes, Gender roles, Religious rites and ceremonies, Social dances, Cultural change and history, Cultural identity, Tribal and national groups, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
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Call of the Peace Pagoda
directed by Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997; produced by Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997, Turning Tide Productions (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1989), 29 mins
In 1945, Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese Buddhist monk, witnessed the devastation of Hiroshima and had a spiritual vision for world peace. Fujii's vision was to create peace shrines around the world to awaken a spirit of nonviolence. Since the 1950s, the monks and nuns of Nipponzan Myohoji, the Buddhist religious ord...
Sample
directed by Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997; produced by Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997, Turning Tide Productions (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1989), 29 mins
Description
In 1945, Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese Buddhist monk, witnessed the devastation of Hiroshima and had a spiritual vision for world peace. Fujii's vision was to create peace shrines around the world to awaken a spirit of nonviolence. Since the 1950s, the monks and nuns of Nipponzan Myohoji, the Buddhist religious order founded by Fujii, have constructed over 70 of these shrines in six different countries. They are known as Peace Pagodas. Call of the...
In 1945, Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese Buddhist monk, witnessed the devastation of Hiroshima and had a spiritual vision for world peace. Fujii's vision was to create peace shrines around the world to awaken a spirit of nonviolence. Since the 1950s, the monks and nuns of Nipponzan Myohoji, the Buddhist religious order founded by Fujii, have constructed over 70 of these shrines in six different countries. They are known as Peace Pagodas. Call of the Peace Pagoda is an intimate portrait of the Japanese and American Buddhists who live at the first Peace Pagoda built in the United States, located in rural western Massachusetts. This documentary chronicles two months in the life of this unique spiritual community - a time in which they faced numerous tests of faith.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997, Turning Tide Productions, Henry Lyman, fl. 1976
Author / Creator
Robbie Leppzer, fl. 1997
Date Published / Released
1989
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
Henry Lyman, fl. 1976
Person Discussed
Fujii Nichidatsu, 1885-1985
Topic / Theme
Buddhism, Prayer and meditation, Religious communities, Pacifism, Japanese, Americans
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1989 Documentary Educational Resources
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Candles for New Years
written by Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010; directed by David Plath and Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010; produced by Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010 and David Plath (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1998), 29 mins
For 200 years groups of Lahu have been migrating from southwestern China into the highlands of Southeast Asia's 'Golden Triangle' region. Though they share much with other migrants in the ethnic patchwork of the region, the Lahu maintain a vigorous sense of themselves as a distinct people. New Years is their prime...
Sample
written by Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010; directed by David Plath and Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010; produced by Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010 and David Plath (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1998), 29 mins
Description
For 200 years groups of Lahu have been migrating from southwestern China into the highlands of Southeast Asia's 'Golden Triangle' region. Though they share much with other migrants in the ethnic patchwork of the region, the Lahu maintain a vigorous sense of themselves as a distinct people. New Years is their prime time for celebrating what it means to be Lahu. For 200 years groups of Lahu have been migrating from southwestern China into the highl...
For 200 years groups of Lahu have been migrating from southwestern China into the highlands of Southeast Asia's 'Golden Triangle' region. Though they share much with other migrants in the ethnic patchwork of the region, the Lahu maintain a vigorous sense of themselves as a distinct people. New Years is their prime time for celebrating what it means to be Lahu. For 200 years groups of Lahu have been migrating from southwestern China into the highlands of Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle" region. Though they share much with other migrants in the ethnic patchwork of the region, the Lahu maintain a vigorous sense of themselves as a distinct people. New Years is their prime time for celebrating what it means to be Lahu. Candles For New Years is the first visual portrait of Lahu life prepared for English-speaking viewers. Anthropologist Jacquetta Hill has followed for more than a decade the fate of a group of Lahu who cleared the forest and built a community north of Chiang Mai, Thailand. In this film, she describes the Lahu New Year as celebrated by the community: the elaborate preparations to appease the spirits they rely upon to bring them good fortune, the dancing & feasting and the mingling with friends and relatives from sister villages.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010, David Plath
Author / Creator
Jacquetta Hill, fl. 2010, David Plath
Date Published / Released
1998
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Lahu, Migration, Religious rites and ceremonies, Rural population, Cultural identity, Holiday celebrations, New Year's Day, Ethnography
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A Celebration of Origins
written by Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947- and Patsy Asch; produced by E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 45 mins
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebrati...
Sample
written by Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947- and Patsy Asch; produced by E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 45 mins
Description
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores,...
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The rituals, which require the participation of the entire community, had been delayed by poor harvests and epidemics. The film focuses on a small group of ritual leaders who struggle to hold the celebration in the absence of the Source of the Domain, the ritual leader of the community, who died after initiating the rituals. Evoking the contested nature of ritual, the film demonstrates how ritual performance implicates delicate political relationships based on pragmatic alliances, festering antipathies or developing jealousies. Conflict is the thread that weaves together the disparate themes of the film. It is a finely crafted, sensually striking film with a compelling story that focuses on one of the central themes in contemporary anthropological debate: the contested nature of social - and ritual - life.
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Date Written / Recorded
1980
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Koa Tapa, Pius Ipir Wai Brama, Sina Ipir Wai Brama
Author / Creator
Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-
Date Published / Released
1992
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Ata Tana 'Ai, Religion, Cultural identity, Tribal and national groups, Cultural change and history, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography, Tana 'Ai
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The Cumana Devil (El Diablo De Cumaná)
written by John Dickinson, 1946-; directed by John Dickinson, 1946-; produced by John Dickinson, 1946- (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1984), 26 mins
Luis del Valle Hurtado regularly transforms himself into a drumming, dancing "black satan" in a festival fusion of Indian, Spanish, and African symbols in his hometown of Cumana, Venezuela. Donning the dark garb of the devil, his particular satan is based on the popular image of St. Michael killing Lucifer.
Sample
written by John Dickinson, 1946-; directed by John Dickinson, 1946-; produced by John Dickinson, 1946- (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1984), 26 mins
Description
Luis del Valle Hurtado regularly transforms himself into a drumming, dancing "black satan" in a festival fusion of Indian, Spanish, and African symbols in his hometown of Cumana, Venezuela. Donning the dark garb of the devil, his particular satan is based on the popular image of St. Michael killing Lucifer. Luis del Valle Hurtado regularly transforms himself into a drumming, dancing "black satan" in a festival fusion of Indian, Spanish, and Afric...
Luis del Valle Hurtado regularly transforms himself into a drumming, dancing "black satan" in a festival fusion of Indian, Spanish, and African symbols in his hometown of Cumana, Venezuela. Donning the dark garb of the devil, his particular satan is based on the popular image of St. Michael killing Lucifer. Luis del Valle Hurtado regularly transforms himself into a drumming, dancing "black satan" in a festival fusion of Indian, Spanish, and African symbols in his hometown of Cumana, Venezuela. Donning the dark garb of the devil, his particular satan is based on the popular image of St. Michael killing Lucifer. He performs at carnivals and regards himself as a cultural phenomenon who is furthering an old tradition. Aware that times are changing and that younger people have lost interest in wearing outlandish costumes, he practices his art with pride and considers himself to be the "true devil", the one who will never die. Although he refuses to teach anyone his craft, Hurtado is famous throughout the neighborhood and his performances are often imitated by children.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Dickinson, 1946-, Luis del Valle Hurtado
Author / Creator
John Dickinson, 1946-
Date Published / Released
1984
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
John Dickinson, 1946-
Topic / Theme
Venezuelan, Evil, Catholicism, Dance and dancing, Cultural change and history, Religious practices, Costumes, Ethnography, Venezuelans
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