Macumba, Trance and Spirit Healing
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 1990.4.3
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Richeport-Haley, Madeleine
setName: label: See more items in
content: Madeleine Richeport films
physdesc: label: Extent
content: Film reels (color sound; 1548 feet)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1985
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Edited film on the rapidly growing spiritist religion in urban Brazil known variously as Umbanda or Macumba. Shot principally in Rio de Janeiro, the film documents the beliefs, practices, and organization of various Umbanda centros and reveals the combination of African spiritism, Catholicism, and European spiritism that characterizes this distinctively Brazilian religion. Scenes of centro activity include musical performance, dancing, and possession of mediums by the pantheon of Umbanda spirits. Possessed mediums are shown in therapy sessions with clients of these centers and interviews with mediums and devotees explore the meaning of spiritual experience within Umbanda.