Films - RAI FILM

RAI FILM

Film list

[across-the-border-afghan-musicians-exiled-in-peshawar--Film-image]

Across the Border: Afghan Musicians exiled in Peshawar 2008 54‘

Directed by John Baily .

It is the year 2000 and most of Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban. Hearing that many of Afghanistain’s musicians are now in exile across the border in Pakistan, ethnomusicologist John

South Asia Refugees / Displaced populations Music / Ethnomusicology Religion / Belief / Faith

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Black Mountain 2008 84‘

Directed by Charlotte Whitby-Coles Amin Hajee .

A once unremarkable site of multi-faith pilgrimage to a Sufi Saint has been transformed and its local history rewritten – the film documents the journey of Charlotte, a student undertaking her PhD

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage Inter-religious relations

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Cuyagua – Devil Dancers 1987 52‘

Directed by Paul Henley .

The men of the Afro-Caribbean population of Cuyagua enact a ritual that occurs 60 days after Easter. The film is a portrait of two men who direct the devil dancing. They tell the history of the

South America Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith

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Cuyagua – the Saint With Two Faces 1987 56‘

Student Directed by Paul Henley .

The film centres on the predominantly female celebration of the feast of Saint John. The women sing the songs associated with the Feast, describe their beliefs and how they organise the feast.

South America Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith Festivals / Carnival

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Daba – Portrait of a Na Shaman 1999 40‘

Directed by Hua Cai .

After more than a quarter of a century without any form of religious ceremony, the Na, an ethnic group living on the Himalayan plateau, began openly practising their religion again in the early

South-East Asia Education / Knowledge transmission Religion / Belief / Faith Shamans and Shamanism

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Dervishes of Kurdistan 1973 52‘

Directed by Brian Moser .

A community of Kurds resident in Iran on the border with Iraq forms the subject of this film. Many of the inhabitants of the community are refugees from Kurdish areas of Iraq and the villagers are

Middle and Near East Refugees / Displaced populations Religion / Belief / Faith

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Distant Temple 2002 90‘

Directed by János Tari .

The last orthodox synagogue in Makó was renewed and inaugurated in 2002. The little temple, as they call it, is more than hundred years old and represents the link between the Jews who emigrated

Middle and Near East Migration Religion / Belief / Faith

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Drugs & Prayers 2009 55‘

Directed by Helene Basu .

The Sufi shrine of Mira Datar in North Gujarat is a large pilgrimage centre specialising in healing possession and mental illness. It has become a site of experimenting with new forms of community

South Asia Health / Health care / Healing Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith

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Gods and Satans 2005 87‘

Directed by Martine Journet Gérard Nougarol Gabriel Chabanier .

Among the Wana people, semi nomads from the Indonesian (Sulawesi) forest, Indo Pino is a shaman recognized by everybody. Her nephew, who is also a shaman’s son, converted to Christianity some

South-East Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Shamans and Shamanism Inter-religious relations

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Guli Armug’on 2019 23‘

Directed by Iqbol Meliqo’ziev .

Uzbek and Tajik women in eastern Uzbekistan celebrate the arrival of spring by gathering at the grave of an Islamic saint. The Afghan redbud trees growing on the site are in full bloom. The magical

Central Asia and Far East Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual

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HARMONI: HEALING TOGETHER 2021 98‘

Directed by Erminia Colucci .

As a nation of 270 million, Indonesia is facing the grave task of caring for millions of people living with mental illness. Many have experienced human rights abuses in their lifetime. In communities

South-East Asia Health / Health care / Healing Religion / Belief / Faith

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Heal the Whole Man 1974 50‘

Directed by Paul Robinson .

The ‘Barolong boo Ratshidi’ are one of the group of Tswana peoples, who together form a culturally homogeneous population of over two million. The Barolong themselves number about 75’000 and

Southern Africa Religion / Belief / Faith Health / Health care / Healing

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Herat Films: The Shrines of Herat 1983 30‘

Directed by John Baily .

These videos were edited from seven hours of Super 8 film shot by John Baily during two years of ethnomusicological fieldwork carried out in the Herat region of western Afghanistan between 1973 and

Middle and Near East Religion / Belief / Faith Urban

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Holy Men and Fools 2005 61‘

Directed by Michael Yorke .

The film narrates the story of Uma Giri, a Swedish woman who has become a Hindu nun, called Uma Giri. She is one of the few western women to be accepted into the most radical order of wandering

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Inter-religious relations Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage

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Journey into Europe 2015 122‘

Directed by Akbar Ahmed .

In Journey into Europe, Akbar Ahmed, a world-renowned anthropologist, Islamic scholar, and filmmaker who the BBC has called “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam,” explores Islam

Central Europe Western Europe South-East Europe History Religion / Belief / Faith Collective / Community identity

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Kataragama: A God for All Seasons 1973 52‘

Directed by Charlie Nairn .

In ever-increasing numbers Sinhalese of all religions (Muslims, Christians and Buddhists) are turning to Kataragama, an ancient Hindu God, at times of trouble and desperation. Once a year pilgrims

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual Possession

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Keepers of the Faith: The Buddhist Nuns of Sagaing Hills 1996 51‘

Directed by Hiroko Kawanami .

In the Sagaing Hills, 12 miles from the ancient capital of Mandalay are hundreds of pagodas, stupas, monasteries and nunneries which form a focal point of worship for Buddhism in Burma. In 1986 the

South-East Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Collective / Community identity Gender Role and Identity

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The Lau of Malaita 1982 52‘

Directed by Leslie Woodhead .

*Pierre Miranda and a team from Granada Television have made a fine film exploring the trouble realities of the people of the lagoon in the 1980s.* (B. Shore) This film focuses on the people of

Melanesia Social Change Social Conflict Ritual Death Religion / Belief / Faith

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New Images 1964 27‘

Directed by Ulli Beier Frank Speed .

The film is a brief description of life in a busy commercial centre that still depends upon and retains its ancient traditions. These are based on the history of the town which was founded on the

West Africa Art / Artists / Artisans Religion / Belief / Faith Archival material / Museum displays

[nkabom-a-little-medicine-a-little-prayer--Film-image]

Nkabom: A little medicine A little prayer 2021 79‘

Werbner Award Directed by Erminia Colucci .

A mother is caring for her son at a healing shrine on the edge of a village in the central belt of Ghana. In another village, a father has taken his son to several Christian and traditional healers

West Africa Health / Health care / Healing Religion / Belief / Faith

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Orphans of Passage: The Uduk 1993 52‘

Directed by Bruce MacDonald .

In 1987 Sudanese government forces attacked the Uduk of Southern Sudan, and 20-25000 Uduk fled. Since then they have criss-crossed the Sudanese/Ethiopian border 5 times. In the spring of 1992, 13000

North and Northeast Africa Refugees / Displaced populations War / Conflict / Reconciliation Religion / Belief / Faith Squatter Settlements / Homelessness

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The Quechua 1974 52‘

Directed by Carlos Pasini David Ash .

This film is set in a community of peasant agriculturalists 2 1/4 miles above sea level in the southern Peruvian Andes. Concentrating on a single family, the film explores aspects of religious and

South America Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Religion / Belief / Faith Social Change

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Rain in the Mirror 2012 48‘

Directed by Nilanjan Bhattachary Kanchan Mukhopadhayay .

Dorji Bhutia, a Buddhist monk and a reputed mask-maker with supernatural powers of bringing or stopping rain chose a self-determined death at the age of eighty-six. Dorji leaves his mystic image

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Children / Young people Education / Knowledge Transmission Intergenerational relations

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Sons of the Moon 1984 25‘

Directed by Frank Speed Deirdre LaPin .

In isolated mountain hamlets in Nigeria’s Jos Plateau the Ngas have traditionally observed the movements of the moon in the night sky. The moon is a key symbol in Ngas cosmology, believed to

West Africa Religion / Belief / Faith Music / Ethnomusicology Everyday Life Ritual

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The Storyteller 1990 50‘

Student Directed by John Paul Davidson .

Unaware of the written word until the 1950s, the Waura tribe who live in the headwaters of the Xingu river in Brazil still practise the art of storytelling. Tribal storyteller Aruta recounts one of

South America Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Dance / Theatre / Performance Religion / Belief / Faith

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There is Nothing Wrong with my Uncle 2012 78‘

Directed by Sylvie Bringas Dul Johnson .

Nigerian writer Dul Johnson returns to Tarok land to observe the local death rituals and the record of the Tarok ways of dealing with grief and honoring departed. This film provides a rare and

West Africa Death Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual

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A Tibetan New Year 1987 45‘

Directed by Jon Jerstad .

This outstanding documentary is placed in Northern India among a group of Tibetan refugees. They celebrate the New Year, following a ritual of their religion, Bonpo, which is older than Buddhism.

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual

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Tingvong: A Lepcha Village in Sikkim 2005 60‘

Directed by Dawa T Lepcha Anna Balikci-Denjongpa Asen Balikci .

The film illustrates the changes the Lepcha of the Dzongu reserve, North Sikkim, have been through in the last 60 years. From the 1940s, the Lepcha of Tingvong village gradually abandoned hunting,

South Asia Social Change Religion / Belief / Faith Agriculture / Farming

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Umbanda 1977 52‘

Directed by Stephen Cross .

Umbanda is a syncretic religious movement, combining elements from orthodox Catholicism with submerged African and indigenous Indian spiritual beliefs. In spite of past attempts to suppress it,

South America Possession Health / Health care / Healing Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual

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The Veil Unveiled 2004 29‘

Directed by Vanessa Langer .

In Yemen, the land of Queen Saba, a wide variety of veils can be found. In the capital Sana’a, the women, although at first sight appearing to all be wearing but black, distinguish themselves one

Middle and Near East Gender Role and Identity Material Culture Religion / Belief / Faith

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War of the Gods 1971 52‘

Directed by Brian Moser .

While relying on a polemical stance directed against the cultural genocide wrought by missionaries, ‘War of the Gods’ also contains a wealth of information and detail about Amazonian Indian

South America Religion / Belief / Faith Collective / Community identity Agriculture / Farming Hunting / Gathering / Fishing

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We Don’t Need A Grave 2014 27‘

‘We Don’t Need a Grave’ attempts to show how the people who choose Shizenso rather than the typical family grave try to accept one’s death. Shizenso is a natural mortuary practice that has no

Central Asia and Far East Religion / Belief / Faith Death Ritual

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Witchcraft Among the Azande 1982 52‘

Directed by André Singer .

*Witchcraft among the Azande’ is suitable for showing in undergraduate and graduate classes on topics of religion, philosophy, and African ethnography. It could also be stimulating to discussions of

North and Northeast Africa Religion / Belief / Faith Health / Health care / Healing Social Change

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Wives 2017 85‘

RAI Basil Wright Directed by Lisbet Holtedahl .

Alhajji Ibrahim is an Islamic scholar who has served as judge at the Sultanate of Ngaoundéré in Northern Cameroon for 46 years. The film follows Alhajji during the last years of his life, focusing

West Africa Family / Kinship Everyday Life Gender Role and Identity Marriage Personal Narrative Religion / Belief / Faith Social Norms

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Youth Group 2015 28‘

Student Directed by Wanwan Lu .

Set in the predominantly Asian “ethnoburbs” of Los Angeles County, this film follows a vibrant Buddhist youth group in a Chinese-American temple. Youth group members, most raised by immigrant

North America Collective / Community identity Religion / Belief / Faith Intergenerational relations