Ongoing
Mae Iara Barbosa is a High Priestess of the Afro-Brazilian animistic religion of Candomble. Her place of worship, Ile' axe Alaquetun Omofunfun (Casa de axe dos Filhos das Aguas Claras da Terra) is deep within the countryside surrounding Guaruja, São Paulo.
In 2006 when Leo gained funding to research capoeira with Maestre Sombra and Candomble with Mae Iara in Guaruja, he was invited to film Mae Iara's ‘Oblation to the Gods’, a three-week ceremony which happens once every seven years.
Seven years after the original meeting, Leo returned to film the ceremony once more.
The film initially centred around the story of a 9-year-old boy, a percussionist and Organ (male in service of the religion) called Jefferson, following him as he entered the religion. However, after a second visit, the through-line of the film changed, becoming more about why the initial documentary was never finished, and the weight of responsibility Leo felt in revealing the rituals of another culture. Now the film is on long term hold due to considerations surrounding the content, form, ethics and responsibility surrounding the project as a whole. . It may continue in the future, it may transform into another project altogether and it may stay in the back ground as a vital influence on the form, interests and political considerations that support and inspire Leo's ongoing art practice.
"My interest in the Afro-Brazilian animistic religion of Candomble (a sister to paganism and voodoo) is manifold. I was born into a socialist/atheist context and consider myself an agnostic, so my relationship to Candomble is the most in depth relationship I've had to any spirituality. I’m interested in the beauty and the rich cultural expression that is so present within the religion. A sense of ritual and mystery. The pantheon of gods or Orixas represent the natural world; Iyemanja: Goddess of the Sea, Oxum: Goddess of Sweet Waters and rivers etc. By giving the elements human form it can allow us a way of feeling empathy and care for the natural world we inhabit. Most important for me is the way this form connects to my current interests in innovative art practice, as here too an ambiguous platform for performance is presented to a participating public/audience. Through the process of association with Mae Iara and the congregation I have felt schism that has haulted the production, an insecurity regarding my agency as a white European imposing my vision onto their cultural manifestation. I have felt unresolved up until recently as to whether I have the right to share this material and for whose gain. This is partly to do with not being a professional filmmaker and therefore scared of the quality of the outcome, but also relates to a growing understanding of ideas surrounding decolonisation and agency within ethnography. On reflection, the past 20 years of not making are also a political pushbank and respect for the depth of association needed to takle material of this nature. Now in 2025 i am picking the project back up with renewed desire and confidence that the film should be made. But throughout this time and whether it is made or not my experiences within the context and the association with the congregation has, and continues to, influence everything that I engage with creatively."
[Leo Kay]
A film in the not making
Creative Team
Directed by
Leo Kay
Filmed by
Sam Campbell and Leo Kay
Photographs (above)
Sam Campbell
