Dying in Africa

Description

In Africa-where infant mortality is sky-high, tens of millions have AIDS, and life expectancies can be as meager as 39 years-death is an all-too-frequent presence. This program presents sub-Saharan perspectives on the end of life: lavish Ghanaian funerals involving caskets shaped into whatever is most emblematic of the deceased; funeral rites of the Dogon, in Mali, where alcohol fermentation is attributed to the powers of the departed; the views of the Fulani of the Sahel, who do not believe in life after death; and the roles of the griot's tam-tam drum and fire kindled by a blacksmith's wife in the funeral rites of rural Burkina Faso. In addition, the good works of Sparrow Rainbow Village, in South Africa-the only residential facility in Africa established to meet the needs of terminally ill AIDS patients-are documented.

Runtime

50 min

Series

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

[2008], c2004

Database

Films on Demand

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