Îlé Aiyé

The House of Life (Ilé Aiyé) is a film that talks about religion and spirituality and how the slaves brought to Brazil kept it alive. It especially looks at this phenomenon in 1988 Bahia, Brazil; where you can see it in the song, dances, foods, dress, and overall outlook of the people there. Through the film we see different religions; one we learn about is Candomblé. A religion in Brazil with African Roots. We hear from different members and followers of the faith and exactly how rituals work and what they mean. The film also talks about other religious movements in Brazil and how they have developed over time. Overall the film does a good job at not only showing the aspects of the different religions and movements but also breaking down their meaning. The film also talks about the different parts men and women have in religion.

Byrne captures some fascinating footage throughout the film Ilé Aiyé or The House of Life. Ilé Aiyé explores the ways in which Candomblé has influenced the daily life and culture of the people of Brazil. Many visual senses depict festivals, ceremonies, dances, food, clothing, jewelry, and music, which clearly show how African roots influenced Brazilian traditions. I thought it was very substantial how Byrne included personal interviews to demonstrate the purpose of culture and religion. For instance, according to Gil Vicente Barbosa, he describes a festival where people got together for over 40 years ago to dance in the streets with the same rhythms and music. They get together and dress up all in white to express themselves and symbolize peace. Also, the film mentions how nature is sacred. A stone is not only a stone but it is a place where a God expresses himself. Nature is a place that is always susceptible to many manifestations of the sacred. I also thought the ending scene that showed a trans was very interesting. I learned that the trans is a kind of control that is attributed to the Oshum. It is a manifestation of the God that is present there. A trans is the moment when the God arrives and when the faithful who are watching the ceremony see a person in a trans that is the moment when the faithful come in contact with the Gods and come together with the Gods. This is considered to be the deep meaning and great beauty of the trans.

This film was very educational and informative on the religion of Candomble in Bahia, Brazil. Though I wished there were more words to describe what was happening during the film, it was still clear about what they do during their rituals. They are very passionate about their beliefs and everyone is involved in these ceremonies, even the children. There was also some insight on their culture shown through their attire and preparation of food. Overall it was a good film to give more understanding to people who don't know much or anything about Candomble.

Ilé Aiyé was a very interesting film about Buddhist practices. I enjoyed the display of the many different types of worshiping practices. However, for learning purposes, the film could focus on maybe four or five different practices that are most important and then explain them in depth regarding its importance to the religion and culture instead of just showing ten or more different types. I would've liked to hear more about how the people value these rituals and how they are beneficial to themselves and their people.

Looking at how the people in Bahia Brasil celebrate their African root through symbolism, costumes, and traditional festivals has a magical sense of empowerment you can see in the culture. They embrace and love the roles they all do to be a part of something bigger than them which applies to any religion but to carry on for so long in a country so far from their ancestors and different from the national majority is quite special.