José, a Man and a Story to tell

| February 14, 2023

In honor of the 101th birthday of Mestre José Gabriel da Costa, celebrated this February 10th, the Beneficent Spiritist Center União do Vegetal reproduces the film “José, a Man and a Story to tell”. The animation, in the form of poetic verses, highlights the main events in Mestre Gabriel’s life, such as his birth, his union with Mrs. Raimunda Ferreira da Costa (M. Pequenina), encountering the Hoasca Tea, the creation of the União do Vegetal, the formation of the first mestres…

The film is inspired by the drawings that usually illustrate ‘’cordel’’ literature, typical of the Northeast region of Brazil, the birthplace of Mestre Gabriel. The animation gives shape to what is being sung in the chants, verses, and rhymes, while the viola brings a sound that makes those who see and hear the film take a journey through the life trajectory of this caboclo*, rubber tapping soldier from the backcountry of Brazil, who was born in the interior of Bahia and who went to the Amazon Rainforest at the age of 22.

Watch below:

* Refers to people of mixed Brazilian and Amerindian descent, who live in the forests and rural areas throughout Brazil.
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*posted on February 10, 2020.