- published: 12 Mar 2016
- views: 38192
The Loa (also Lwa or L'wha) are the spirits of Haitian Vodou. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye (Bon Dieu, or good god)—the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, and special modes of service. Contrary to popular belief, the loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for a distant Bondye.
As a way to keep their European masters from interfering, and to appease the authorities who prevented them from practising their own religions, the African slaves in Haiti syncretised the Loa with the Roman Catholic saints - so Vodoun altars will frequently have images of Catholic figures displayed. For example, Papa Legba is alternately St. Peter or St. Lazarus, Ayizan is Saint Clare, and so on. Syncretism also works the other way in Haitian Vodou and many Catholic saints have become Loa in their own right, most notably St. Philomena, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Jude, and St. John the Baptist.
Actors: Patrick Muldoon (actor), David Rimawi (producer), Chris Ridenhour (composer), Paul Bales (producer), Bo Svenson (actor), Nora L. Ferris (miscellaneous crew), Anthony Fankhauser (producer), David Michael Latt (producer), Gregory Paul Smith (costume designer), Dylan Jones (actor), Brian Brinkman (editor), Ben Hayflick (writer), Ben Hayflick (director), Gina A. Dumania (miscellaneous crew), Jude Tucker (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy,Actors: Marina Tomé (actress), Luc Dardenne (producer), Baltasar Kormákur (producer), Élodie Bouchez (actress), Alexandre Desplat (composer), Jean-Pierre Dardenne (producer), Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson (actor), Arlette Zylberberg (producer), Baltasar Kormákur (actor), Patrick Sobelman (producer), Christian Crahay (actor), Natan Cogan (actor), Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir (actress), Sólveig Anspach (director), Sólveig Anspach (writer),
Plot: A very sad but genuinely human story. The middle-aged Icelandic woman Loa is seriously mentally ill. Finally it turns out that her husband is a latent alcoholic who submits to his addiction whenever Loa leaves him. When she is at home, she is living a normal life and taking care of her children. Sometimes she cannot stand it any longer and just runs away. During one such tour she was eventually found in England. During the tour of the present movie she has ended up in a mental hospital in France, without identification papers and apparently being mute. The young psychiatrist Cora is in charge of her and applies unorthodox methods. She is the only one who suspected that Loa might not be French. Interpol soon identified Loa and on Cora's day off she was sent home. Cora immediately flows to Iceland, where everyone including Loa's husband thinks she is a tourist wanting to see the volcano. Loa is prepared to follow Cora back to the French hospital. Unfortunately, the local doctor happens to see them on their way to the boat. He knows nothing of psychiatry and prevents what he perceives as 'criminal kidnapping'. The movie ends with a complete failure for both Loa and Cora.
Genres: Drama,