IF VAGINA HAD A TEETH: THE SHONA RAINMAKING CEREMONY IN WESTERN MOZAMBIQUE
Estonia/Norway, 2009, 57 min
Liivo Niglas, Frode Storaas
29.01.2010 19:55
„Ritual reversals“ or „ritual of rebellion“ are concepts used for mock rituals performend in Southern and Eastern Africa. During fertility rituals, like rain making ceremonies, women in their songs and dances demonstrate obscene behaviour while they behave like men. These are secret performance open strictly for eldery men and women. Still, we were invited to record the rain making ceremony in the land of Chief Chassuka, Manika Province in Mozambique in order to document the ritual for the younger generations. These rituals are a fading tradition probably due to the special character of the songs and dances.
Language of dialogues: Shona language, English
Language of subtitles: English
In the middle of the 20th century a numerous group of Moravian reformed evangelicals from the surroundings of Kloubouky u Brna came to the area of Serbien Banat in Vojvodina. One-and-half-century-lasting existence of the reformed charge brought to its members much suffering borne by a process of big history stretching up to the presence. At the beginning of the 21st century the community of Czech speaking reformed evangelicals is dwelling at the verge of determination as the source of belief has been abandoned by the younger generation due to migration and impacts of modern era. The documentary focuses on historical turning points and fates of several charge members. In the foreground, inner latent godlines of the remaining descendants of the Moravian transmigrants appears which represents collective memory and symbolical universum – sources of preserved ethnicity. Faith, fate, presence as experienced past, experienced past as a garvestone.
In Berlin, young self-employed workers live the alternative to a nine-to-five job – low rents and space for creative ideas are still available. A sewing café owner, a freelance journalist and two contemporary dancers give insights in theirs live styles and tell about their independent work. The protagonists are not only part of berlin´s creative class buut they also represent a part of well-educatted generation, who struggles between job insecurity and th wish of self-realization.