Orî means « head » in Yoroba, the language of the West-African ethnic group by the same name. In her film Raquel Gerber, traces the black emancipation movement in Brazil during the 1970s and 80s. In collaboration with Beatriz Nascimento, who embarked on a search for her African identity, Gerber has made a film about important events in the movement’s history and about Nascimento’s personal journey. A journey inspired by the Quiolombos, the ancient African warriors who came to make up the black resistance in Brazil during the seventeenth century.

The title of the film refers both to the initiation of a person to a new stage in life, and of consciousness in terms of history, time and memory.

This documentary provides an overview of the Black Movement in Brazil during the 70s and 80s and tells the story of Beatriz Nascimento, an activist and historian searching for her African heritage. Beatriz researches the history of the Quilombos, African warrior societies reestablished in Brazil to resist slavery and colonialism. Her outlook is poetic and charged with emotion. The historical interpretation acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of African culture to South American music, dance, language and beliefs.

Raquel Gerber
1989, 54 minutes & 93 mins
English soundtrack