Buying the Spirit
A film by Saskia Rietmeijer & Bart Drolenga, Seeview Productions
Nearly everyone in Haiti believes in voodoo. This powerful documentary takes
us into the hidden world of voodoo practitioners and offers unique insight
into a frequently misunderstood religion.
Haitians turn to priests like Vladimir Bernadel or to secret voodoo societies for support and protection. Vladimir has problems of his own. He needs money to retire but his business is declining and the thirty family spirits he normally commands will no longer do his bidding. And his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend wants to kill him. His problems began after he "bought" a spirit and made him master of his own family spirits. These spirits won't accept an outsider and now only work when they want to. We witness a top secret ceremony, as voodoo priests set fire to a cross in a graveyard and call upon a powerful spirit to kill Vladimir's rival.
Yves and Odette Theophile belong to the secret society Ayan Pata because they believe it gives them strength. In the past year, five of their children died, their business collapsed and all their savings were used for the funerals. Ayan Papa offered them aid which they used to start a small business
The personal tales of Vladimir and Yves reveal two very different aspects of voodoo. Vladimir uses it to gain wealth and power while Yves turns to it for comfort after the deaths of his children. Their stories offer an objective view of the religion that is so important to so many. Does it really deserve its maligned reputation?
52 min. Video or DVD. Sale $350. Video rental $75.
