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Bound by blood: new film highlights Jamaica’s outlawed obeah belief system

The Guardian UK Saturday 30 May 2026, 11:00 UTC By Natricia Duncan in Kingston 1 min read
Key Points

Stew Peas focuses on obeah, an enduring African magic practice in Jamaica banned by colonisers in the 1700sA new movie from award-winning Jamaican film-maker Sosiessia Nixon shines a spotlight on Jamaica’s enduring west African-based magic and spiritual healing tradition known as obeah. Nixon’s tense, feature-length suspense, Stew Peas, tells of the story of Jamaican detective Tessa, who is obsessed with an old murder case.

Stew Peas focuses on obeah, an enduring African magic practice in Jamaica banned by colonisers in the 1700s

A new movie from award-winning Jamaican film-maker Sosiessia Nixon shines a spotlight on Jamaica’s enduring west African-based magic and spiritual healing tradition known as obeah.

Nixon’s tense, feature-length suspense, Stew Peas, tells of the story of Jamaican detective Tessa, who is obsessed with an old murder case.

Continue reading...
Jamaica (LOCATION) African (ORG) Jamaican (ORG) Sosiessia Nixon (PERSON) west African (ORG) Nixon (PERSON) Stew Peas (PERSON) Tessa (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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