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After the latest messages about Egungun I went to Netflix and rented "Mana: Beyond Belief." There is about a ten-minute segment on Egungun in Ouidah (it looked as though it were in Ouidah), which was very colorful and interesting, very enjoyable. The whole DVD is very interesting. It is an eclectic and idiosyncratic collection of segments about cultural "curiosities" around the world, including the cherry blossom festival in Japan, Navajo healing in Arizona, covering a stupa with gold leaf in Thailand or some other SE Asian country, low riders in New Mexico, and a frozen tuna auction in Japan. Of course, you can rip the DVD with "Mac The Ripper", and then re-edit it into a DVD for class with "Handbrake." I actually am content to use the whole DVD in class, it is that interesting. Here is the synopsis for Mana: "The belief in mana -- the Polynesian term for the power that resides in things -- is a commonality across cultures. People worldwide imbue objects with meaning, honoring these sacred things with rituals in the hope of absorbing their magic. This unique, globe-trotting film examines the nature of belief by exploring a vast array of objects, from Elvis's Graceland to the Shroud of Turin, revered for their special energy." H-AfrArts H-Net Network for African Expressive Culture E -Mail: H-AFRARTS@H-NET.MSU.EDU WWW: http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~artsweb/
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