Watch Divine Horsemen - The Living Gods of Haiti

Divine Horsemen - The Living Gods of Haiti is a mesmerizing and insightful documentary film that explores the fascinating and complex world of Haitian Vodou, an ancient religion that intertwines African, European, and indigenous beliefs and practices. The movie was released in 1993 and directed by Maya Deren, a groundbreaking filmmaker and anthropologist who spent several years in Haiti in the late 1940s studying and documenting the Vodou culture.

The film is a compilation of footage shot by Deren during her fieldwork, as well as interviews and commentary by other Vodou practitioners, scholars, and observers. It is a beautiful and haunting visual journey that immerses the viewers in the vibrant and mystical world of Haiti, where religion is omnipresent and deeply ingrained in everyday life.

At the heart of the film is the notion of the "Divine Horsemen", which refers to the practitioners of Vodou who are possessed by the spirits, or loa, during elaborate and intense ceremonies called "battles". These battles involve music, dance, singing, drumming, chanting, and offerings, and are designed to invoke the loa and bring them into the bodies of the participants.

The film showcases several such battles, filmed in black and white and edited with poetic precision to capture the raw energy, emotion, and beauty of the rituals. We see men and women, dressed in colorful costumes and adorned with symbolic objects, spinning, jumping, and convulsing in trance-like states as the loa speak through them in voices and languages that are not their own.

The film also delves into the historical, social, and political context of Vodou, which has long been misunderstood and stigmatized by the Western world as a form of "primitive" or "satanic" witchcraft. We learn about how Vodou emerged as a result of the slave trade and the oppression of African peoples in Haiti, and how it became a source of resistance, identity, and resilience for the Haitian people.

The film features interviews with various experts, including Alfred Métraux, a renowned anthropologist who worked with Deren in Haiti, and Katherine Dunham, a pioneering dancer and choreographer who studied Haitian culture and folklore. They provide valuable insights into Vodou's history, mythology, cosmology, and symbolism, and help contextualize its role in Haitian society and beyond.

Through its expertly crafted visuals, music, narration, and interviews, Divine Horsemen - The Living Gods of Haiti offers a rare and transformative glimpse into a world that is often misunderstood and marginalized. It challenges our assumptions, biases, and fears about religion, spirituality, and culture, and invites us to embrace the mystery and beauty of the human experience.

Overall, Divine Horsemen - The Living Gods of Haiti is a must-see documentary for anyone interested in anthropology, religion, folklore, or art. It is a timeless and powerful work that celebrates the diversity and richness of human expression and inspires us to see the world through new eyes.