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Legacy of the Spirits
written by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; directed by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; produced by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 52 mins
Legacy of the Spirits traces the religion of Vodou (voodoo) from Africa to Haiti to New York City. It explains the theology of the religion, the meaning of the rituals, the pantheon of spirits, possession, the sacred drawings (called ve-ve), the Catholic influence, the history of persecution and more.
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written by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; directed by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; produced by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 52 mins
Description
Legacy of the Spirits traces the religion of Vodou (voodoo) from Africa to Haiti to New York City. It explains the theology of the religion, the meaning of the rituals, the pantheon of spirits, possession, the sacred drawings (called ve-ve), the Catholic influence, the history of persecution and more. For centuries, the religion of Vodou (commonly called "voodoo" by outsiders) has been thought of as sticking pins in dolls or witchcraft. It has be...
Legacy of the Spirits traces the religion of Vodou (voodoo) from Africa to Haiti to New York City. It explains the theology of the religion, the meaning of the rituals, the pantheon of spirits, possession, the sacred drawings (called ve-ve), the Catholic influence, the history of persecution and more. For centuries, the religion of Vodou (commonly called "voodoo" by outsiders) has been thought of as sticking pins in dolls or witchcraft. It has been kept underground and practiced in secret, giving way to much misunderstanding and sensationalism. This documentary - the first of its kind - shows how Vodou is a valid and serious belief system. The film interweaves exciting Vodou ceremonies, important scholarly information, compelling music, and images of colorful ritual objects, to show the beauty behind what has been one of the world's most misunderstood religions. Legacy of the Spirits traces the religion from Africa to Haiti to New York City. It explains the theology of the religion, the meaning of the rituals, the pantheon of spirits, possession, the sacred drawings (called ve-ve), the Catholic influence, the history of persecution and more. This is all explained by priests and priestesses who practice Vodou and who give the film the quality of being both informative, yet personal. Filmed entirely in the Caribbean communities in New York City, participants speak of what the religion means to them and their families, how the spirits have helped them, and why they continue to practice these ancient traditions today. Since the religion has always been kept underground (the reasons why are explained in the film), this is the first time the practitioners have spoken about it openly on camera.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978, Anne-Marie LeGros, Karl F. Kernisant
Author / Creator
Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978
Date Published / Released
1985
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Creole, American, Caribbean, Haitian, Louisiana Creole, Mediums, Religious beliefs, Cultural change and history, Religious rites and ceremonies, Vodoo, Religion, Ethnography, Americans, Haitians, Cajuns
Copyright Message
by Documentary Educational Resources
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To Serve the Gods
written by Ira Lowenthal and Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; directed by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1982), 33 mins
To Serve the Gods is about the beliefs, rituals and performances of a week-long ceremony given by a Haitian family in honor of its ancestral spirits. We are told at the outset of the film that this sevis loua only occurs every twenty to thirty years. This particular service takes place in a rural community in sout...
Sample
written by Ira Lowenthal and Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978; directed by Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1982), 33 mins
Description
To Serve the Gods is about the beliefs, rituals and performances of a week-long ceremony given by a Haitian family in honor of its ancestral spirits. We are told at the outset of the film that this sevis loua only occurs every twenty to thirty years. This particular service takes place in a rural community in southern Haiti, on family land, where relatives have gathered to propitiate gods inherited by their ancestors. To Serve the Gods is about t...
To Serve the Gods is about the beliefs, rituals and performances of a week-long ceremony given by a Haitian family in honor of its ancestral spirits. We are told at the outset of the film that this sevis loua only occurs every twenty to thirty years. This particular service takes place in a rural community in southern Haiti, on family land, where relatives have gathered to propitiate gods inherited by their ancestors. To Serve the Gods is about the beliefs, rituals and performances of a week-long ceremony given by a Haitian family in honor of its ancestral spirits. We are told at the outset of the film that this sevis loua only occurs every twenty to thirty years. This particular service takes place in a rural community in southern Haiti, on family land, where relatives have gathered to propitiate gods inherited by their ancestors. This celebration of one's birthright and obligations involves drumming, song, dance, possession, animal sacrifice and sharing of food with the gods and with friends, family and neighbors. Filmmaker Karen Kramer has been a student of Vodou for twenty years and attended ceremonies for the first time in Haiti in 1971. Her film is based on the ethnographic research of anthropologist Ira Lowenthal and his paper, Ritual Performances and Religious Experience: A Service for the Gods in Southern Haiti.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Ira Lowenthal, Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978, John Genke
Author / Creator
Ira Lowenthal, Karen L. Kramer, fl. 1978
Date Published / Released
1982
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
John Genke
Topic / Theme
Haitian, Religion, Religious beliefs, Religious rites and ceremonies, Vodoo, Ethnography, Haitians
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
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