Divine horsemen: the living gods of Haiti

In September 1947 documentary, experimental and avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren disembarked in Haiti for a eight month stay. Over the subsequent years (1947-54) Deren intimately and artfully documented the rituals and culture of the people there, providing a fascinating ethnographic study of Voudoun dances and rituals. This work provides insight into the world of Voudou, the ‘Divine Horsemen’ being the being the Gods of Voodoo. The meaning of the dance, songs, drawings and rituals are explained in voiceover, providing an explanation of how the people respond and pay tribute to the different Gods. This is a fascinating and stunning insight into a culture that is frequently misunderstood in the West and often maligned in mainstream cinema. Deren published a monograph on her studies but never edited the footage which was completed by Teiji Ito and Cherel Ito after her death.