Film

Mounted By The Gods

2003 · 1h 30m · Documentary

IMDb

7.3

In 1988, Albert Venzago set out to cross Africa on a Vespa. After miles in the blistering heat, it broke down in a remote village in Benin. There he encountered Mahounon, one of the most influential voodoo priests of West Africa. Abandoning his planned trip, Venzago set out instead on an odyssey through the world of African voodoo, to which he and his camera gained extraordinary access. Venzago followed Mahounon with his camera for nearly ten years, filming secret Voodoo ceremonies and sacrificial rituals. He witnessed Mahounon’s extraordinary search for a successor to lead the cult, and he watched as the anointed eleven-year old boy, Gounon, was schooled in black and white magic, rituals, and the intricate workings of the Fa, or Voodoo oracle. Venzago’s camera evokes the religious ecstasy of these ceremonies as well as their otherworldly atmosphere. His photographs illuminate this mysterious and potent Voodoo culture and religion.

Jean-Luc Julien

The Outsider (voice)

• Alberto VenzagoDirector

Release date

October 8, 2003

Status

Released

Original language

German

Runtime

1h 30m

Genres

Documentary