Arena

Episode Synopsis

Brazil's major slave-trading port for nearly three centuries, Bahia has a black population of over 80 per cent which maintains the legacy of African tradition at every level of daily life. Jana Bokova's vivid film portrait captures the spirit of the Bahian people, their music, culture, and most of all their religion - candomble - a fusion of Catholic and African religious beliefs. The film culminates in the annual celebration of carnival.