Oggun: Forever Present

In making the documentary "Oggun: An Eternal Present," film director Gloria Rolando skirts the edges of enchantment, enters Yoruba philosophy, and, especially, pays homage to the singer Lazaro Ros, one of the most important personalities in recent AfroCuban culture: 52 min, available with English subtitles. In Oggun, Gloria relates the patakin or mythical story of Oggun, the tireless warrior who, enamored of his mother, decided as punishment to imprison himself in the mountains: only Ochun, goddess of love, succeeded in captivating him when she let fall a few drops of honey on the lips of the god of metal, war, progress, and civilization. This film of 52 minutes includes chants, dances, a "tambor" (Yoruba religious ceremony with the bata drums), and the experiences of Ros, who not only made his the beauty of the African chants, but had the opportunity to sing them in trips throughout the world. The noted "apwong" works incessantly to preserve the lore and transmit it to the younger generations. Oggun is the first effort of the team later to be known as Images of the Caribbean, now chartered as an independent video group.