Cuban filmmaker Lazara Rosell Albear returns to the magical–realistic world of Santeria or Regla de Osha, the religion practiced in secret by more than 70% of the Cuban population. The film, titled “Yoko Osha,” interweaves an intimate portrayal of this tradition with its rules and ritualistic initiations, with personal experiences, audio-visual recreations, performance and poetry. Ten years in the making, what results is a multi-layered work, merging different styles as the film becomes more of a subjective self-portrait of the director.

As an Ode to the Cuban people, and to a part of their treasured culture, the film unfolds against the well known background of socio-economical struggles in the country.

Albear is an Artist in Residence for the year 2016 at Wiels Contemporary Art Center in Brussels, where the film is set to screen – at Cinema Nova , on June 3rd. The screening will be followed by a live performance.

The film was most recently invited to be presented at AFRO-CUBAN ARTISTS: A RENAISSANCE at the University of Missouri, Columbia, just about 3 weeks ago.

For those in Brussels, visit Cinema Nova’s website for more info on the upcoming screening and performance.

Yoko Osha

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