Watch This Short Film About The Orishas Saving Slaves From Ships

We’re all aware of the fact that colonisers came to Africa to abduct people, who would later become their slaves. They transported them by ships, which spent several months on the sea, and the captives were often thrown overboard or, in order to end their suffering, jumped off themselves.

While history (and current affairs tbh) tells us what happened to those who remained on board, Gabrielle Tesfaye’s The Water Will Carry Us Home paints a mythical picture of what happened to those who were thrown/jumped off board during the Middle Passage.

Using stop-motion graphics, the colourful and gripping film imagines a reality where, upon crashing into the waves, the people are saved by Yoruba Orishas.

Speaking about the film, Tesfaye said:

“For a long time now I have been called to create a film of our ancestors stolen from Africa, and thrown overboard the slave ships.

I chose to combine my painted puppets in stop motion and live ritual footage, to make it relatable, and show the magical workings of the spirit realm and past through the animation.

My hope for this film is that it tenderly touches all hearts within the African diaspora, and a remembrance that even in our heaviest pain, we have never been alone.”

This was a very interesting watch for us, and we definitely think you should watch it too! You can check it out right here:

The Water Will Carry Us Home from Gabrielle Tesfaye on Vimeo.