Educational Media Reviews Online

The carnival group Ilê Aiyê has been working for three decades to generate pride and consciousness in the local black community in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, a city of 2.64 million people. Most black residents live in areas with poor infrastructure and experience social discrimination stemming from racial discrimination. The Beleza Negra (Ebony Goddess) competition is an opportunity for young women in Salvador de Bahia to rise above these challenges. Beleza Negra is more than a typical beauty contest – it is “a circle of consciousness, of beauty, of dance, of search for culture, of self-evaluation.” Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ilê Aiyê follows three young women competing for the title; the winner earns the right to parade with Ilê Aiyê during three days of carnival. Through interviews, rehearsal footage, and scenes from the actual contest, this short documentary sketches a picture of what it is like to be a young, black, Brazilian woman whose heart’s desire is to represent her community at the annual carnival celebrations.

Contestants need to know how to dance Ijexá (the rhythm of sacred Candomblé music), replete with Jincá (the shoulder movement). Elaborate costumes, with flowing skirts in bright colors, accented with jewelry and large headdresses, are typical. According to one contestant, Ilê Aiyê celebrates the beauty of “large noses, large mouths, [and] our wide butts” – traditional African notions of beauty rather than Westernized notions. Many of the women express deep emotion as they dance. Arany Santana, the Director of Ilê Aiyê, calls Beleza Negra an “affirmation of black aesthetics” and says that the Ebony Goddess competition raises women’s self-esteem.

The filmmaking style is rough at times, with somewhat amateurish camera work and varying levels of audio quality. English subtitles contain some grammatical and punctuation errors. The documentary feels somewhat rushed – it would benefit from a fuller treatment of the responsibilities of the Queen of Ilê Aiyê, the relationship between the contest and women’s self-esteem, and a discussion of the impact that contest winners have on their community beyond their participation in carnival. Still, the film provides an entry point to discuss cultural standards of beauty, public portrayals of women, and cultural celebrations.

Recommended

Awards

• Winner, African Diaspora Film Award, San Diego Black Film Festival
• Winner, Best Short Documentary, San Diego Latino Film Festival