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The Jezebel Spirit

🎞️ Movie 5 min --
2009

Exorcism is one of the most widespread practices in human history. Almost every known religion has some context in which spirit possession is considered possible, although the interpretation of such possession can vary widely. For the Aymara, one of the largest indigenous groups in Bolivia, New Year's Day provides an opportunity for the faithful to channel and receive the life-giving and transformative energy of the sun before it departs for its next orbit. It is on this day, which falls on the Winter Solstice (roughly June 21), when we are physically closest to the sun in its orbit. As the new sun rises, they welcome the invading spirits, sent from the sun (literally believed to be Our Father), in hopes that their physical, psychological and spiritual problems will be healed. In our country, similar events may take place on religious radio call-in programs. Often times, if the preacher has determined that the caller has an evil and unwelcome spirit inside them, he will perform an exorcism over the phone in order to rid the faithful of the evil spirit. This film explores the intersections of these two rituals aimed at spiritual cleansing. Their juxtaposition gives the impression that the evangelical preacher is acting as the voice of the sun, trying to extract the negative energy from the people so that they can celebrate the coming year and the clean slate that it signifies.

Cast

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Mark Kendall
Cinematographer