Mulheres de Axé (Women of Axé) is a short documentary–with English subtitles–about the Bahian women of Candomblé and their roles in leading the community, keeping their culture alive, and being at the forefront of the struggle against religious intolerance and discrimination from evangelicals. The video features many of the same women featured in another documentary called Cidade das Mulheres (City of Women) which goes deeper into the exploration of the topic of race and gender and reveals Afro-Bahian women as leaders, cultural sustainers, and the heart and soul of Salvador.
In 1959 the film Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), an updated tale of the Greek legend Orpheus and Eurydice, was released. The film was set in a Rio de Janeiro favela during Carnaval, and brought Afro-Brazilian life to the attention of film audiences due to its vibrant depiction of Rio’s favelas and the film’s sophisticated portrayal of Afro-Brazilian spirituality, sensuality, and poetic lyricism. For most audiences outside of Brazil, Black Orpheus was their first awareness of Black people living in South America.
The film, starring an all Black cast, went on to become an international success, winning both an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. Over the past fifty years, many Brazilian films such as City of God and Favela Rising have increased the visibility of Afro-Brazilians in film.
The film Yemanjá: Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil discusses Candomblé as a nature-based religion and examines its political nature as a religion of resistance against racism and religious discrimination. Yemanjá also voices concerns about ecological and environmental issues that Candomblé practitioners face with regard to access to and the preservation of sacred natural spaces, and problematizes Bahia’s world famous annual Yemanjá festival. Ile Oxumare (shown in the film) and others have been vocal about offerings being biodegradable and encouraging more awareness of waste. The film also illustrates the role of a terreiro in the community and how the women that operate them serve as spiritual and community leaders.
(photo by Gerald Lee Hoffman)