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About
About RAI Film
Meet the team
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Film Distribution
Watch on demand
Ethnographic Film Catalogue
Teaching resources
RAI Film Festival
About RAI Film Festival
Film Festival 2025
Film Festival 2025 Group passes
Film Festival prizes and awards
Film Conference 2025
Archive of past editions
RAI FILM
Login
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Twitter
About
About RAI Film
Meet the team
Prices
Film Distribution
Watch on demand
Ethnographic Film Catalogue
Teaching resources
RAI Film Festival
About RAI Film Festival
Film Festival 2025
Film Festival 2025 Group passes
Film Festival prizes and awards
Film Conference 2025
Archive of past editions
Menu
About
About RAI Film
Meet the team
Prices
Film Distribution
Watch on demand
Ethnographic Film Catalogue
Teaching resources
RAI Film Festival
About RAI Film Festival
Film Festival 2025
Film Festival 2025 Group passes
Film Festival prizes and awards
Film Conference 2025
Archive of past editions
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Films
9 Films
Keywords
“Possession”
x
Series
“0”
x
films with a digital version
6
short films
2
Region
Melanesia
2
North and Northeast Africa
1
South America
1
South Asia
1
West Africa
4
Country
Brazil
1
Cote d’Ivoire
1
Ghana
1
India
1
Morocco
1
Nigeria
2
Papua New Guinea
2
Togo
1
Keywords
Children / Young people
2
Collective / Community identity
1
Dance / Theatre / Performance
1
Health / Health care / Healing
4
Marriage
1
Migration
1
Music / Ethnomusicology
1
Possession
9
x
Religion / Belief / Faith
1
Ritual
6
Directors
Aaltonen, Jouko
1
Dumont, Dirk
1
Esteva, Jordi
1
Folly, Anne Laure
1
Horton, Robin
1
Kildea, Gary
1
Opipari, Carmen
1
Owen, Chris
1
Pakaslahti, Antti
1
Prince, Raymond
1
Simon, Andrea
1
Speed, Frank
2
Timbert, Sylvie
1
Series
not set
9
x
Country of production
Australia
2
Belgium
1
Côte d’Ivoire
1
Finland
1
France
2
Nigeria
2
Papua New Guinea
1
Spain
1
United Kingdom
1
United States
2
Year of production
1963
1
1966
1
1991
1
1997
1
2000
2
2003
1
2005
1
2015
1
Film list
Barbara and Her Friends in Candombleland
1997
52
‘
Directed by
Sylvie Timbert
Carmen Opipari
.
In the divine Afro Brazilian cult Candomble is an initiation religion centred around possession. The filmmakers concentrate on children who introduce and guide us to this world. The children play
South America
Children / Young people
Dance / Theatre / Performance
Possession
Ritual
Bridewealth for a Goddess
2000
72
‘
Directed by
Chris Owen
.
A unique insight into a secret spirit cult among the Kawelka people in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. After a dream, a clan leader initiates a long and complex ‘work’, when he and a
Melanesia
Ritual
Marriage
Possession
Duminea: A Festival for the Water Spirits
1966
20
‘
Directed by
Frank Speed
Robin Horton
.
The communal rituals of most villages of the Eastern Niger Delta focus on two great classes of spirits – the heroes and the water people. The heroes once lived with the men, founded their
West Africa
Ritual
Possession
The Guardian of the Forces
1991
52
‘
Directed by
Anne Laure Folly
.
‘The Guardian of the Forces’ introduces the viewer to the world of Sikavi, a ‘fetish priest’ in Lome, Togo. He controls the spirits of several voodoos or gods. The film explores the significance
West Africa
Health / Health care / Healing
Possession
Ritual
Komian
2015
72
‘
Directed by
Jordi Esteva
.
Four years after the filming of “Return to the Land of Souls”, about the rituals of trance and possession, the narrator travels to Ivory Coast in search of a priestess possessed by the Spirit of
West Africa
Possession
Ritual
Music / Ethnomusicology
Koriams Law and the Dead who Govern
2005
110
‘
Directed by
Gary Kildea
Andrea Simon
.
In ‘Koriam’s Law’ Australian anthropologist Andrew Lattas meets his match in philosopher-informant Peter Avarea of Matong village, Pomio, Papua New Guinea. Motivated by their lively dialogue the
Melanesia
Religion / Belief / Faith
Collective / Community identity
Possession
Kusum
2000
69
‘
Directed by
Jouko Aaltonen
Antti Pakaslahti
.
Kusum is a 14-year-old Indian girl. She lives and attends school in Delhi. Kaushal, her father, drives a motorised rickshaw and works his fingers to the bone to support his family. Sumitra, Kusum’s
South Asia
Children / Young people
Health / Health care / Healing
Possession
Living with the Invisibles
2003
52
‘
Directed by
Dirk Dumont
.
When they emigrated to Europe in the 60’s and 70’s, Moroccans brought with them their culture and their “diseases” ( caused by the the jinn that inhabit some of them). In Europe, most North
North and Northeast Africa
Health / Health care / Healing
Possession
Migration
Were Ni! He is a Madman
1963
30
‘
Directed by
Frank Speed
Raymond Prince
.
This ethnopsychiatric film shows the management of psychiatric disorders by the Yoruba of Nigeria. There are two basic types of institutions to deal with psychiatric disorders. First there are
West Africa
Health / Health care / Healing
Ritual
Possession