Dir. Lázaro Faria, 2005, 72 min.
This documentary pays homage to American anthropologist Ruth Landes, whose research on women in Bahian Candomblé led to the publication of her book City of Women in 1947. The film also examines the women priestesses, or mães de santo, who are important in the Afro-Brazilian religion today and gives special attention to Mãe Stella de Oxóssi, who has led the llê Axé Opô Afonjá Candomblé house since 1976.

Axé Bahia Film Series
This monthly film series showcasing Afro-Brazilian culture and identities is curated by Randal Johnson, Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Screenings occur on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm.

Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 221 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd | $12/day
___

About the Exhibition

Axé Bahia: The Power of Art in an Afro-Brazilian Metropolis, explores the distinctive cultural role of the city of Salvador, the coastal capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia and an internationally renowned center of Afro-Brazilian culture. Featuring more than 100 works from the mid-20th century to the present, including a stunning array of sculpture, painting, photography, video, and installation art, the exhibition explores the complexities of race and cultural affiliation in Brazil, and the provoca­tive ways in which artists have experienced and responded creatively to prevailing realities of Afro-Brazilian identity in Bahia.

Related Exhibition