The Witches of Gambaga

Yaba Badoe, a Ghana-born filmmaker raised in Britain, returns to her home country to document a Gambaga refuge for accused witches. Badoe says she's been writing about witches for 14 years, but cannot understand why a country that prides itself on its human rights record would demonize thousands of citizens in this way. Many of the women she meets received beatings from family members for perceived transgressions before being cast out. Given a choice between death or false confession, they chose the latter. Some appear to have been targeted due to their threat to the patriarchy because of their successes as independent businesspeople. Now they reside in a community (one woman has lived there for 25 years) led by a male chief, while a veteran inhabitant serves as their spokesperson. Even though Ghanaians believe that men can also practice witchcraft, they perceive the power wielded by males to be positive. As homeowners, men are also resistant to exile in a way that women aren't. In addition to the outcasts, Badoe interviews Simon Ngota and Gladys Lariba, who help a few women return to their villages through fees and animal sacrifice (a chicken's death position determines if the woman is "cleansed"). Back home, however, they still don't enjoy the benefits of full citizenship. Narrated and hosted by Badoe, this sad film sheds light on a terrible injustice that deserves greater attention. Recommended. Aud: C. P. (K. Fennessy)