Of Men and Gods

Haitian-born filmmakers Anne Lescot, an anthropologist, and Laurence Magloire, a TV producer, return to their native country to examine the lives of several homosexual men from underprivileged sectors of Haiti's Port-au-Prince in Of Men and Gods, an intimate and detailed look into the complex sociopolitical milieu of Haiti's gay community. Although homosexuality is socially frowned on in the majority culture, it is allowed to flourish within Haiti's Vodou (voodoo) religion, where homosexuals are believed to embody a “loa” called Erzuli (a spirit of fertility and love), through whom they may gain healing powers. Several of the men interviewed for the film acknowledge that they've embraced their belief in the loa in order to gain social acceptance, while many others are indeed devoted to the various religious dances and ceremonies captured here. Although the film consists largely of interviews (in which the men also touch on the fear of AIDS--at epidemic proportions in Haiti), the camera also captures the men at work, socializing at the disco, and making a pilgrimage to the “mystical falls” near St.-Yves in southern Haiti where they engage in ceremonies to honor the loas. An interesting ethnographic study that explores an unusual juncture between human sexuality and religion, this is recommended for larger collections. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)