Religious Healing and Sacred Health Curing: Online Documentary Film Program and Debate (week 5) -CHIDRA

Please join our fifth biweekly webinar (5 September 2020), documentary film presentation and debate organized by the Network of the Anthropology of the Middle East and Central Eurasia of EASA in collaboration with the Religion and Society Research Cluster, Western Sydney University.

Introduction to the session by Dr. P. Khosronejad (Western Sydney University), debate by Dr. Arik Moran (University of Haifa) researcher and co-director, and discussant Dr. Elena Mucciarelli (University of Groningen).

Film presentation

CHIDRA

Nadav Harel and Arik Moran, 2018, 40 minutes, Israel.

Synopsis

CHIDRA (from Sanskrit, "pierced" or "cut") is an outcome of ongoing collaboration between documentary filmmaker Nadav Harel (Noprocess Films) and ethnohistorian Arik Moran. The documentary follows Ram Nath as he leaves his fields and buffaloes to play the part of human sacrifice in a mysterious religious festival called "Kahika" in the Himalayan Valley of Kullu, North India. During the ritual, Ram Nath transforms from a highland peasant into the master of ceremonies, a powerful redeemer who cuts holes (chidra) in the fabric of society, collecting sins into a cosmic trap that only he can operate. CHIDRA follows Ram Nath through the ritual, revealing how men, gods, and mediums handle the dangerous substance of actions (karma) at the frontier of the Hindu cultural sphere.

After the film, a debate with the presence of the filmmaker.

A link will be provided to all participants after the introduction debates to watch the film online or via screen sharing through the moderator’s screen.

This webinar will be held on Zoom.

Time

September 5, 2020 10:00 AM London