Hail Umbanda (1987)

This unique, insider's view of Umbanda, the fastest-growing religion in Brazil, shows the cult's raucous pageantry and public festivals as well as its more esoteric, exotic, and rarely-seen ceremonies. A blending of Catholicism with traditional African and Native American religions, Umbanda is characterized by ritualistic sacrifices and offerings and altered states of consciousness described by devotees as possession by supernatural beings. Includes commentary by numerous authorities and practitioners, but focuses on one Painho or Pai de Santo (Father of the gods), who introduces and explains many different aspects of Umbanda.