Jogo de Corpo – Capoeira: The Body, Rhythm and Ancestry

Mestre Cobra Mansa will share the findings of his research on the corporeal wisdom of our ancestors (‘ancestral body’) and on the process of re-learning the movements that have been forgotten and lost in the Western world, where every day man and the human body are turned into machines. Through the music and rhythms of Capoeira Angola, the body reconnects with the spirit, mind and music. Capoeira Angola restores a being to its natural state.

Body Games: Capoeira and Ancestryfollows Mestre Cobra Mansa and his friends as they travel through Angola and Brazil in search of the historical roots of their art. The journey explores deeper connections between slavery, identity and society.

In Body Games (Jogo de Corpo) we meet colourful characters on both sides of the Atlantic: capoeira masters Boca Rica, Celso, Moraes and Felipe, and engolo players Angelino, Kahani, Muhalambadji and Lombolene. 

Directed by Richard Pakleppa, Matthias Röhrig Assunção and Mestre Cobra Mansa; produced by On Land & Manganga Productions, 2014; Nyaneka and Portuguese; Portuguese and English subtitles; 87’

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/86018522