Kurzbeschreibung
April 1988 wollte der Fotojournalist Alberto Venzago mit einer Vespa Afrika durchqueren. Die Reise et pannenbedingt in Ouidah in Benin vor einem bedeuten Voodoo-Kloster. Venzago lernt Mahounon, einen der einflussreichsten Voodoo-Priester Westafrikas, kennen und begibt sich auf eine fast zehn Jahre währe Reise ins Innere der mysteriösen Welt des afrikanischen Voodoo. Mit seiner Kamera fängt er in zahllosen, ungewöhnlich intensiven Bildern diese geheimnisvolle Kultur und Religion ein. So entsteht ein faszinierer, authentischer Film und ein großartiges Buch, das jeden in seinen Bann zieht.
Synopsis
A glimpse into the world of Voodoo, this companion to a documentary by Wim Wenders presents photographs and film stills by celebrated photojournalist, Alberto Venzago. In 1988, Albert Venzago set out to cross Africa on a Vespa. After miles in the blistering heat, it broke down in a remote village in Benin. There he encountered Mahounon, one of the most influential voodoo priests of West Africa. Abandoning his planned trip, Venzago set out instead on an odyssey through the world of African voodoo, to which he and his camera gained extraordinary access. Venzago followed Mahounon with his camera for nearly ten years, filming secret Voodoo ceremonies and sacrificial rituals. He witnessed Mahounon's extraordinary search for a successor to lead the cult, and he watched as the anointed eleven-year old boy, Gounon, was schooled in black and white magic, rituals, and the intricate workings of the Fa, or Voodoo oracle. Venzago's camera evokes the religious ecstasy of these ceremonies as well as their otherworldly atmosphere. His photographs illuminate this mysterious and potent Voodoo culture and religion.