BLAYNE SCOTT: Mokpo vs. Jeju

Spirits: The Story of Jeju Island's Shamanic Shrines/??? ??; ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? had its local premiere on September 27th at the 15th annual Jeju Women's Film Festival. The following is an interview with the director, Joey Rositano, along with excerpts from the documentary and the Q and A which followed the film's premiere in Jeju City. Spirits is the first full length documentary on Jeju Island shamanism, a polytheistic religion unique to Jeju. Rositano has spent several years exploring the shamanistic traditions of the island and insists that now is the time for a call to action to protect these treasures. The film features the farmers, divers, shamans and expats of Jeju Island. Each village in Jeju is situated around a number of shamanistic shrines. These shrines, where local deities are 'seated' are the religious center of each village. This Kickstarter backed project focuses on the lifestyles and religious lives of these local villagers, likely the last generation to practice shamanism in its current form.