Bahian filmmaker Spartakus wins award in London for music video

Bahian filmmaker Spartakus has won the Best Music Short award at the 11th New Renaissance Film Festival London for his music video “Feitiçaria” (or “Feitiço”). Filmed in Itabuna, in southern Bahia, the production is inspired by the history of Obaluaê, an orixá associated with healing and transformation.

The video uses the orixá’s narrative as a metaphor for the internal wounds caused by rejection faced by Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals during childhood. The production, created by the independent company Haus of Spartta, featured local artists and professionals, including child actor Sol Benedito and a ceremonial mantle crafted by Junior Camini and Dona Lourdes.

This international recognition follows previous selections for the Denton Black Film Festival in Texas and NewFilmmakers in Las Vegas. Additionally, the visual album “Livre Com Fiança,” which includes the video, received an award at The Peoples Film Festival in New York.