"White People Also Dream"

The Shamanic Journey of a Sangoma

Through the experience of a young woman, this South African documentary provides a rare, insightful glimpse into the lives of Xhosa sangomas (or shamans). Sangomas, like the voodoo-adherents, practice a religion where one worships the ancestral spirits to implore protection, prosperity and healing. Sheila Dorje's growth from a troubled woman to a sangoma begins with distressing dreams that lead her to believe she is destined to be a traditional healer. But even though she discovers the root of her unsettling dreams, she still must struggle to become a sangoma. She begins the rigorous training to become a sangoma and is given a Xhosa name, Nobuyile, which means "She who has returned". Watch the trailer