The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

The Menil Collection is pleased to present a screening of Al Santana’s landmark 1985 film, Voices of the Gods, held in conjunction with the exhibition Samuel Fosso: African Spirits, the FotoFest Biennial 2022 exhibition African Cosmologies Redux, and the 2022 Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

Preceding the film, Houston-based African dance and drum ensemble KoumanKe'le’ presents a performance drawing on West African traditional song and dance.

Voices of the Gods, 1985, captures the rich legacy of ancient African religions practiced today in the United States. It provides viewers with rare insight into the practices and beliefs of the Akan and Yoruba religions and illustrates how mass media has been used to ridicule and denigrate these belief systems. The director provides intimate and respectful studies of an Egungun ancestral communion ceremony and documents daily life in the Yoruba village of Oyotunji in Sheldon, South Carolina, the only traditional African village of its kind in the United States today.

Due to the probability of inclement weather on Friday, November 11, this event has been moved indoors. The program will take place in the main building, located at 1533 Sul Ross Street. Additional information regarding accessibility and parking can be found here.

Registration is not required. However, if you would like to receive an email reminder on the day of the event, please sign up below.