Documentary exposes struggle to decriminalize African religions in Brazil
After 30 years with the Free Our Sacred campaign, leaders of Candomblé and Umbanda religions in Brazil recovered a collection of more than 500 confiscated items. (Elisângela Leite/Quiprocó Filmes)
For a century, more than 519 sacred objects from the Umbanda and Candomblé—two religions with African origins—were in the possession of Brazil police.
This possession and the fight to return these relics to their rightful owners is the subject of the new documentary Respect Our Sacred, produced by Quiprocó Filmes. The film captures a landmark of emotion, faith, and antiracist struggle on September 21, 2020, in devotion to the ancestors of the Candomblé and Umbanda.
“They were all arrested by the police as if they had committed some crime,” said Maria do Nascimento, a religious leader. “Is it a crime for us to be Candomblé? Is it a crime for us to worship an orixá?”
