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Daba

Un Daba
Hua CAI
1998 China 42 minutes
DR

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

Production :
Hua CAI; Sumpa Advertising Agency of Yunnan
Distribution :
Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
Photography :
Hua CAI; Jiang Liu

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