The Black Orpheus and other Portrayals of African Derived Religions

Schmidt, Bettina E. (2026) The Black Orpheus and other Portrayals of African Derived Religions. In: Handbook on Contemporary Religion, Television, and Film. Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion, 24 . Brill, DenHague, pp. 234-254. ISBN 9789004727595

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Abstract

The film Orfeu negro (Black Orpheus) by the French director Marcel Camus (1959) which is set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, won several awards including the Academy Award for best foreign-language film and the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. It catapulted Brazilian music onto the international scene and made the carnival of Rio a widely recognized symbol of Brazil. However, despite of its fame and ongoing popularity, the film has an ambivalent legacy, mainly due to the ignorance towards the social realities of its time. This chapter compares the film with the Brazilian play on which the film is (loosely) based and reflects on the social setting of both, the film and the play. The second part focuses on the portrayal of the African-derived religion in the film. By aligning it to Brazilian films that portrayed African-derived religions the chapter discusses its challenging legacy today.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Brazil; Film; African derived religions
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion F History United States, Canada, Latin America > F1201 Latin America (General)
Divisions:	Institutes and Academies > Institute of Education and Humanities > Academic Discipline: Humanities and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Bettina Schmidt
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2026 14:27
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2026 14:27
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3719

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