#ouanga

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Fredi Washington raising the dead in Ouanga | 1936 | dir. George Terwilliger

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OUANGA 1936 (Haitian voodoo)

Ouanga, also A.K.A The Love Wanga, is a voodoo-themed 1936 American film starring Fredi Washington. George Terwilliger wrote and directed the film. The film's themes include miscegenation and it features various racial stereotypes and portrays the people who practice voodoo as primitive. The movie is considered to be perhaps the second zombie film ever made after White Zombie.

OUANGA is a term derived from Haitian Vodou.

“Ouanga” (also spelled wanga) is a term from Haitian Vodou, derived from West African spiritual practices. In Vodou, a wanga (or ouanga) refers to a magical charm or spell, often used to influence others, bring protection, or cause harm. It can be an object or a ritual act prepared by a houngan (priest) or mambo (priestess). The word and practice come from the Fon and Yoruba spiritual traditions that were brought to Haiti by enslaved Africans. (AI GPT)

LINK https://youtu.be/Po9D1ybn-aI

AI GPT TAKE ON THE FILM:

Ouanga (1936) is a fascinating yet deeply problematic film. It’s notable for being one of the earliest cinematic depictions of voodoo and zombies—predating the modern horror genre’s take on these figures. Fredi Washington’s performance stands out, particularly given her status as a pioneering Black actress at a time of severe racial segregation in Hollywood.

However, the film is steeped in racist tropes. It exoticizes and distorts Haitian Vodou, portraying it as dark, primitive, and dangerous—a common Hollywood stereotype of the time. It also deals with themes of interracial desire and rejection, playing into white fears of miscegenation, with Washington's character punished for desiring a white man. While historically significant, the film reflects a colonial gaze and offers more insight into American racial anxieties than authentic Vodou beliefs.

For modern viewers, Ouanga is best seen as a troubling relic of its time—a blend of early horror, racial ideology, and voodooploitation.

IMAGES

Fredi Washington raising the dead in Ouanga | 1936 | dir. George Terwilliger https://www.tumblr.com/weirdlookindog/779473571448848384?source=share

Ouanga,A.K.A The Love Wanga, ivoodoo-themed, 1936, Dir. George Terwilliger,film, black and white 

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Blog Post #2 

This week's discussion of Black horror has got me thinking about how these stories incorporate history, culture, and supernatural elements in a deeper, often scary way—especially in movies like The Keeper and Ouanga. The Keeper's concept of ancestral trauma and the weight of generational obligation is one that particularly stood out to me. There is a palpable feeling of helplessness and terror when one considers that a child must depend on a supernatural force to survive following the death of their guardian. I find the film intriguing and eerily realistic in many ways since it uses horror to examine the impact that deeply rooted family dynamics may have on us. There is a conflict that exists outside the screen between the need for safety and the knowledge that it may come with a cost. Ouanga also made me reevaluate my assumptions, particularly in regards to how it portrayed black magic and voodoo. The way that fear of the "other" connected with Blackness felt both impacting and illuminating. It serves as an important reminder of how, often at the expense of nuance and understanding, early films exploited race fears to create suspenseful storylines. Being a member of a minority culture, I understand how easily our cultural customs can be misinterpreted or vilified. I was thinking about how much has changed and how much hasn't in terms of Black representation in horror movies after seeing this movie. Seeing how these old films have influenced modern representations of Black power and fear, especially in horror genres of literature, is both frustrating and enlightening. Seeing how these old films have influenced modern representations of Black power and fear, especially in horror genres of literature, is both frustrating and enlightening. All in all, I've been shocked by how much the horror movies we've spoken about emphasize survival—not just the physical kind but also the psychological and cultural kinds. Characters that have to deal with historical trauma, societal injustice, and personal loss appear to be the main subject of black horror. These narratives' collective struggle to preserve identity and agency is reflected in their resiliency. In many ways, this mirrors my own experiences of navigating spaces where I feel both seen and unseen. These movies get me thinking about how important it is to take ownership of one's story and how sometimes only surviving is the greatest accomplishment of all.

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Ouanga (1935) George Terwilliger

February 11th 2024

[blackindiecinema-blog]

Though little known, Ouanga is notable as supposedly only the second movie (after White Zombie) to feature zombies. It also deals with interracial love, the notion of "passing," and the supposedly inherent fiery lustfulness of black native women. As the poster proclaims: "Meet Clelie...naive...young and beautiful...lithe, yielding, and primitive, love-hungry child of the tropics!"