Daba: Na Shaman

Synopsis

After more than a quarter century without any form of religious ceremony, the Na, an ethnic group living on the Himalayan plateau, began again to openly practise their religion in the early 1990s. Their priests are called daba. Among the few old shamans who are still living, Dafa Luzo is the most remarkable. As the main character in the film, he is shown looking after his farm and family, as well as performing rituals to expel all unclean spirits and demons and honour the ancestors. His main worry, and his greatest hope, is to make sure his knowledge is safely handed down to the next generation.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 40 min.

Year of production

1999

Availability

Sale; 2000 sale: £50.00 (+VAT +p&p)

Subjects

Anthropology; Religious studies

Keywords

Himalayas; Na; religious belief and practice; shamans

Credits

Director

Hua Cai

Distributor

Name

Royal Anthropological Institute

Contact

Susanne Hammacher (Film Officer)

Email

film@therai.org.uk

Web

https://www.therai.org.uk/film/film-sales External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7387 0455

Fax

020 7388 8817

Address

50 Fitzroy Street
London
W1T 5BT

Notes

The Institute sells more than 250 anthropology and ethnology titles on video and DVD, including some produced by students and staff of the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology. There is also a large library of internationally produced film and video productions from which items may be borrowed within the UK.