Samba On Your Feet

Summary: This documentary goes behind the scenes of Samba and Carnival's world in Rio de Janeiro to reveal the cultural clash that gave birth to a new tradition in South America. Haroldo Costa (Historian-Actor-Writer), narrates how African slaves' beliefs, mixed with Spanish Catholic traditions and Native influences crafted a remarkable fusion. The film includes interviews with veteran samba performer Xango da Mangueira who recalls the early days of Carnival when he and his fellow performers sang and danced in the streets and were treated like vagrants, harassed and arrested by the police. Mae Helena D'Oxosse, a priestess in the umbanda tradition, incorporates samba in her religious practices and carries on a tradition among her working-class followers that is five hundred years old. Samba On Your Feet has been selected to participate at the Toulouse Latin American Film Festival 2008, at the Rio Film Festiva 2006, Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) 2007 and Toronto Latino Film Festival. (Portuguese with English Subtitles). Producer, Director, Editor. Patagonia Film Group, USA, 2005.