Filmmaker Carolina Moraes-Liu's Ebony Goddess focuses on an annual contest held in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, in which the all-black group Ilê Aiyê, founded to celebrate and promote Afro-Brazilian culture, crowns an Ebony Goddess as a symbol of feminine beauty and power. Designed to boost self-esteem and build cultural pride, the competition is meant to inspire Afro-Brazilian women to overcome social and racial discrimination. Auditions narrow the field down to 15 contestants who perform traditional dances in elaborate custom-made outfits. Although an entrant explains that the emphasis is on African standards of beauty—“our large noses, large mouths, our wide butts”—as opposed to the delicate features and thin physiques favored in the media, the costumes worn during the performances almost completely obscure the contestants' bodies, while huge headdresses cover their hair. Behind-the-scenes shots, footage from the pageant itself, and interviews with three participants and their families reveal the Ilê contest to be much like comparable events in other places, except for its focus on specific ethnic traditions and aesthetics (as in the similarly-themed Miss Navajo [VL-7/08]). Still, while relatively brief, Ebony Goddess does touch on issues germane to both black culture and women's studies, making this a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)
Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ilê Aiyê
(2010) 20 min. In Portuguese w/English subtitles. DVD: $49.95: public libraries & high schools; $175: colleges & universities. Third World Newsreel. PPR. Volume 26, Issue 2
Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ilê Aiyê
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