Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti

I believe what is fascinating with this work is that the filmmaker maintains both an authentic and insightful depiction of Voudoun whilst incorporating a very specific engagement creating new possibilities and recounting entirely new experiences. Although importantly her study is very informative and is supported by a very detailed book upon the subject, there is much to be said above and beyond pure fact. There is of course a problem identifying Deren's role partaking in the religious ceremonies although she was welcomed by a Voudou priest. It is important to note that she didn't adopt the insulting role of sceptical bystander nor tried to make any allusions to the particular behaviour of various communities partaking in Voudoun, other than those she was able to witness during her time in Haiti. I think this film is extremely eye-opening of the fact that there is much to be said of human behaviour which can only be derived by such phenomenology as is demonstrated by this film.

Avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren is mostly known for short films like Meshes in the Afternoon. A predominant theme of her work is dance. Both literally, and in the 'dance' choreography where the camera manipulates space. Following a win at Cannes, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, she travelled to Tahiti to make a movie about dance. But the dynamics of ritual among Voudoun devotees would throw much light on her academic writings on the artist's responsibility in ethnography.

The finished film uses her footage from 1947 to 1951. But it was only released after her death, with explanatory narration from her book of the same name. Observations partake of the dispassionate ethnographer but with an artist's ability to create atmosphere using metaphor. "The rhythm and the sound of the drum brings out the movement of the dancing. It is the drumming which fuses together the 50 or more individuals into a single body, making them move as one. As if all had become linked on the thread of a single pulse." Deren is one of the few Westerners to be admitted to innermost Voudoun rituals. By the end of her stay, she had been accepted as a Mambo priestess. Yet throughout, her scientific candour remains as uncoloured as the studies of JG Fraser.

In Voudoun terminology, it is said that the loa (spirit) 'mounts' a person. The symbol is that of the horse and rider. Resulting actions and events are the expression of the will of the rider. Voudoun is syncretic, attempting to reconcile contrary beliefs, often melding practices of various schools of thought. It united disparate tribes of Haiti. It absorbs images from Roman Catholicism.

As the supreme God does not interfere with the world, it is to the various loa that devotees pay attention. The film documents several – with associated rituals. Legba is a loa who is the link between the visible mortal world and the invisible immortal realms, the means and avenue between them. He is associated with a crossroads. A junction between worlds through which communication is established. The cross in Voudoun is also a symbol of life and death, of generation and resurrection.

One of the more complex ceremonies documented in the film is the celebration of Agwé's wedding. Agwé is the sovereign spirit of the sea, betrothed to the Goddess of Love. He also symbolises the ideal husband - being as the sea is, a ready strength and deep peace.

Our Goddess of Love, Erzulie, is mother of man's myth of life. In her, Voudoun salutes woman as love and muse. In a sense, she is the very principle by which man conceives and creates divinity. A beautiful mood accompanies her arrival, an atmosphere of refinement, "as if a fresh cooling breeze has sprung up." The atmosphere becomes less intense.

But what about 'possession' – one of the more famous aspects of Voudoun? We see a sudden change come over participants as the loa 'mounts' them. But is it 'real'? Could it be fakery? Hypnotism perhaps? Possessed persons get considerable honour, so the temptation is there. But anthropologists (such as MJ Herskovitz) suggest it is normal in certain cultures. Not put on or induced. A Voudoun priest (a hungon) may also do tests of his own though. For instance, he might get the 'possessed' to drink chilli concentrate to see if they react.

I witnessed a Voudoun ceremony on another island - Bali. A young man seeking possession took his turn, dancing excited by drums. He became exceedingly – the easiest word is - 'possessed' – and ran out of the compound into oncoming traffic. He was eventually stopped, but I did not personally doubt his genuineness. He did eventually recover, slightly puzzled.

The film shows rituals of life and death at the cemetery. Catholic litanies (action de grace) precede the Voudoun ceremony. As the future springs from the present, life and death are viewed as one.

Divine Horsemen doesn't try to avoid 'difficult' aspects. So what of rituals that are more aggressive? Instead of sensationalising, it explains, "If the Rada (tribe of) loa represent the protective, guardian powers, the Petra loa are the patrons of aggressive action. The Petra cult was born out of a cosmic rage. It is the rage against the evil fate which the African suffered because of his enslavement. The energy from that rage enabled him to regain his freedom by winning the revolution against the Napoleonic forces." Such factual accounting extends to sacred animal sacrifice (which some viewers, of course, may find disconcerting).

Filming sensitive material presents its own problems. Cameras are intrusive. Deren develops techniques called 'shoot to cut' (which reduces the need for editing) and 'plan to eye,' (which uses a visual shorthand). On the back of her Bolex camera, she taped the commands, Speed Stop Focus Finder Motor. The prompts were there to safeguard shots that could never be redone.

A final section of the film shows Tahitian Carnival, Spring Festival. This has some of the most interesting dance sequences, many by talented performers rather than people possessed. Although presided over by a loa, it is not primarily religious. "Carnival celebrates a triumph over death. Of Spring life over the Winter, which was death for the earth. A time for putting the past behind. Of excitement and hope. And promise of a fresh start and a clean beginning." Deren related Voudoun back to her own work and philosophy of art. Using the idea of a collective of people, as found in ritual, she explains how the true artist becomes a channel of creativity, serving those people.

Deren has fathomed the deepest recesses of her subject and commits them to film and folio. A faithfulness rarely achieved in either. Her methodology and essays continue to inspire serious artists, filmmakers and researchers. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti, pieced together with primitive film equipment, is a lasting legacy of inestimable value.

There are few religions or systems of belief that are more misrepresented in culture, and generally misunderstood, than vodou. It's deeply gratifying when an earnest exploration of the practices do enter some degree of public consciousness, as was true for Wade Davis' book 'The serpent and the rainbow' - though nothing exemplifies the problem of how vodou is perceived more than Wes Craven's horror film of the same name. While Maya Deren's documentary languished in limbo for years after the footage was obtained, and still more years after her death, 'Divine horsemen' also represents another fine example of individuals taking a scholarly approach toward honest depiction. The point could be argued that in light of Deren's own especial enchantment with the beliefs the movie lacks total objectivity, but by the same token this may have allowed more in-depth investigation, and regardless, her intent remained pure. By no means is this a perfect or essential feature for all comers, but particularly for anyone with even a passing interest in vodou, it's well worth checking out.

The brevity of this documentary is unfortunate insofar as even one who is wholly unstudied of Haitian history and culture can gather the sense that we're getting only glimpses of a full, rich tapestry. More open to reasoned discourse is the tack that Deren took during the several years of filming; depending on one's point of view, 'Divine horsemen' is feasibly be seen as either succinct and precise, or bereft and insufficient. The footage acquired consists almost entirely of rituals and dances being performed, and otherwise celebrations; the narration provided by either John Genke or Joan Pape is very matter-of-fact, describing from the practitioner's perspective what the viewer is witnessing. To this end the movie is flush with vibrant life, and is engrossing and stimulating as a somewhat naturalist look at what vodou truly is; it's roughly equivalent to dispassionate video of a Christian mass or other religious rites. On the other hand, audiences don't necessarily get as complete an understanding of the imagery before us as we would were practitioners or outsider experts consulted and interviewed for the feature. In some measure, the lack of context for the rituals being performed means that the heart of vodou remains clouded in mystery - preserving sacredness, perhaps, by way of reverence, but also not entirely helping to dispel the misinformation that dominates public perception of the beliefs after countless years of TV, movies, videogames, and deliberate distortion from hostile outsiders.

That the value of 'Divine horsemen' can be debated thusly - itself an intriguing point of interest - is regrettable, as the conflict slightly distracts from what the documentary does genuinely offer. Whatever one's exact feelings about how Deren and her collaborators went about the project (I'm not quite decided myself), the content is nevertheless fascinating, and engrossing. In every regard the culture we're treated to is a cool breath of fresh air - music, dance, costumes, the piecemeal explanations the narration does provide, the compelling conglomeration of it all. One is left thirsting for still more - possibly a sign that Deren did her job, or just as possible a sign that her film falls short. Still, if the worst one can really say of a documentary is that it prompts intellectual discussion of how it treats the subject matter, then I'd say it's not half bad. Recommended specifically for utmost cinephiles and the sincerely curious, 'Divine horsemen: The living gods of Haiti' hasn't had a high profile at any point, and it's questionable whether or not it deserves one, but it's a quietly (if incompletely) satisfying watch if you come across it.

(1985) or (1993) depending on your copy.

I came to this film through an introduction by another film called "In the Mirror of Maya Deren" (2004). Although this previous film was well-balanced, it still contained quite a bit of information on the film you are about to purchase.

This film, "Divine Horsemen - The Living Gods of Haiti," is a snippet collage from 20,000 feet of film of Voodoo (or Voudoun) ceremonies, taken over a long period of time in Haiti. The title comes from the book of the same name. The narrative of this film is adapted from that 1953 book.

Depending on how you look at this film, it could be either too long or too short. However, there is enough information in it to make it an almost how-to documentary.

In any event, you do not want to miss this documentary, as it gives you a feel of what Maya Deren may have experienced.

This is a fascinating look at the beliefs of Haitian Voodoo (or Voudoun) adherents, and explains the cosmology of this poorly understood religion. The "Divine Horsemen" are the gods (Loas) of voodoo. The nature of each Loa is explained, together with footage of rituals and signs dedicated to it.

Experimental filmmaker Maya Deren went to Haiti in the late 1940's and shot some 20,000 feet of film of Voodoo (or Voudoun) ceremonies, together with the attendant sound recordings. She published a monograph on her studies in 1953 under the name "Divine Horsemen," but this film was not actually edited for distribution until after her death in 1961.

Definitely worth seeing!