Title: A Shaman in London (Trailer)
Type of work: Documentary
Description: A Shaman in London is a character-driven short documentary that tells the story of Dr Zoë Brân, the first woman in Britain to be involved in managing a national AIDS organisation and whose ground-breaking PhD explored the relationship between society, culture and HIV. Zoë was introduced to shamanism in 1998 and trained in shamanic practice with the Centre for Shamanic Studies. Zoë has lived in London for over 30 years.
Zoe Brân is a key figure in London’s eclectic community of urban shamans.
Walking between the seen and the unseen, Zoë practises the very ancient tradition of shamanism by using the percussive sound of drums and rattles to transcend the illusory barrier between the numinous and the mundane in order to enter the spirit world and help her patients embark on remarkable journeys of self-discovery.
Over the course of this documentary we discover that the healing practice of an urban shaman in London mirrors the traditional practice of an indigenous shaman. For London’s shamans, the city is a metaphor for the physical world that helps them to merge their healing practice and spiritual beliefs into their everyday lives.
A Shaman in London is a short film by Simona Piantieri that begins a longer documentary project called Shamans and the City, which she is due for completion in 2021.
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