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VOODOO-THE POWER OF HEALING

By Henning CHRISTOPH

WIDE - as SALES All rights, World

Documentary - Completed 2009

VOODOO – THE POWER OF HEALING is a journey to Benin, into the motherland of the Voodoo cult, to the origins and diverse aspects of a religion that remains largely closed to outsiders.

- Year of production
- 2009
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- GERMANY
- Languages
- ENGLISH, GERMAN
- Duration
- 71 mn
- Director(s)
- Henning CHRISTOPH
- Producer(s)
- Thomas HÄBERLE (Shotgun Pictures GmbH)
- Synopsis
- VOODOO – THE POWER OF HEALING is a journey to Benin, into the motherland of the Voodoo cult, to the origins and diverse aspects of a religion that remains largely closed to outsiders.
  Known Voodoo insignia often come across as threatening when seen from the outside: Decaying goat heads with bared teeth, small dolls made of filthy scraps of cloth, chicken feathers, blood and peculiar amulets as protection against evil forces.
  What calls forth incomprehension, aversion and fear here is a blend of religion and medicine in the countries in which Voodoo is practiced. In Voodoo ceremonies lasting hours, homage is paid to different gods, people fall into trances and blood sacrifices are offered up. To the uninitiated, these ceremonies appear chaotic and completely lacking in structure, and the meaning behind the rituals is not apparent to western onlookers straightaway. The primary purpose is healing, so that energies that have gotten mixed up can be brought back into the correct order.
  The excellent local contacts of the ethnologist and photographer Henning Christoph made it possible for the camera to accompany rituals, some of which had never before been filmed. The work with a very small team allowed the filmmakers to follow the events at close quarters. The result of this work is the greatest possible authenticity. This film illuminates the widest range of aspects of Voodoo (or Vodun) and brings them to life.