Iara, Me and Candomble

Saturday 12th July, 9:00pm - Shoreditch Town Hall

An early scratch of a live documentary.

After our performance of It's Like He's Knocking this Saturday at Shoreditch Town Hall, we'll be sharing the very first incarnation of a new live documentary project created by Leo in collaboration with filmmaker Sam Campbell of Lamb+Sea.  

Leo has spent the last nine years not making a documentary. A documentary about Candomble and a religious community that he approximated and befriended in Brazil.

In 2005 Leo journeyed to Guaruja in the state of Sao Paulo for the first time. A year later he returned to record the ‘Oblation to the Gods’; a religious ritual that takes place once every seven years for the high priestess; Mae Iara. Last year, eight years since his first trip, Leo returned once more with Sam to film the ritual again. 

Between his visits, Leo did not make the documentary he planned to, feeling a great responsibiliy for the lives of the people he filmed and their private religious practices.

This will be the first airing a small part of the raw footage.  Eventually our hope is to create a 'Live Documentary'; a mixture of performed, intimate storytelling and ritual, alongside documentary footage from the time spent within this context. This project will attempt to discuss questions surrounding colonialism, cultural appropriation, and the nature of heritage and belief.

Created and performed by Leo Kay

Film material recorded by Leo Kay and Sam Campbell

Film edited by Sam Campbell

Produced by Anna Smith/Unfinished Business

Supported by ADAD