The Ghosts of War

Maria Canathy, 25 years old, follow a training to become a curandheiro, or traditional healer. For this, she has to live in the compound of her teacher for several years. Her teacher is Sr. Domingo, president of the Association of Cunrandheiros in Southern Mozambique.

In Mozambique people believe there is life after death. The body will be buried, but the spirit lives on in a different world. If you don't pay respect to them, they can cause a lot of trouble. After the war, many illnesses or other problems are caused by the ghosts of war. People who suffer from it can consult a curandheiro. They have the special gift to communicate directly with the spiritual world.

One morning the sound of drumming and singing grows louder when Maria Cathany, accompanied by two fellow curandheira's comes out of her hut to pass one of the stages of her training. Her upper body is naked, and she only caries a traditional cloth around her waist. Sr. Domingo looks like very mighty and impressive when he stirs a bubbling mixture in a large calabash. Maria walks around him and makes grunting sounds when he throws the mixture over her head and shoulders. She kneels before him and goes into a trance.

Her fellow curandheiras bring a goat which is pressed against her head and mouth. Then the animal is put on Maria's back and shoulders. The drumming and yelling increase when Sr. Domingo cuts with a sharp stick into the goat's throat artery. Assistants catch the blood in a calabash. Maria cries and screams, while trembling rhythmically.

The Film

In the film we follow Maria during her training and her work. She still has to pass through many rites and exams. But already during her training she wants to use here knowledge for the benefit of others. Together with a group of women she works in a region near the capital Maputo where in recent times many strange and horrible events take place: women working on the fields are being raped, others are killed. They try to investigate and help. Some cases are sent to the police. Others are, if necessary, sent to psychologists who are part of the team. In many cases Maria can bring relief by performing special rituals.

Once a week they meet and discuss the different cases among each other. A lot of these horrible events can be ascribed to the uprooted situation in which most people live. Chased by the war they are often forced to live between old enemies. In the film we portray two tribes in conflict. Maria develops - together with one of her colleagues - a new form of mediation. They ask the spirits to assist in chasing away the ghosts of war.

The series the War after Peace

Year after year people manage to keep their heads above water under the most difficult circumstances, but then, when peace finally returns, the trauma starts and they have to deal with the war all over again, but this time in their minds. War and violence are always traumatic, but the way in which this is dealt with differs from culture to culture.

In a series of films we see how people try to cope in various countries. Earlier films are Mindfields (1997, Cambodia), War Games (1997, East Africa), Seven Dreams of Tibet (1999, India), Tales of Crocodiles (2003, East Timor) and Deacon of Death (2004, Cambodia). The films are distributed and broadcast in many countries.