Secrets of the Maasai - track: Eunoto ritual

The Maasai are one of the most well known, yet at the same time one of the most unknown peoples of Africa. They hold on to their values and rituals while the western world around them becomes more and more powerful. Their culture is about to disappear.

That is why the commission of elderly and spiritual leaders made a remarkable decision some years ago. They decided to have their secret rituals and ceremonies recorded on film, before they will be disappeared forever. They want and hope to proove this way, that the Maasai are entitled to their own place and status in modern Kenya and Tanzania. Spiritual leader Mokompo, demanded Dutch filmmaker Jandries Groenendijk (who grew up in Kenya and was initiated as Masaai) to become 'official filmer' of his people.

Jandries Groenendijk en Ton van der Lee (Dutch/Malian filmmaker) filmed and wrote about secret ceremonies that were never shown to outsiders before, in the book-dvd 'Secrets of the Maasai'. The project is not just about culture and tradition of the Maasai. I'ts about the conflict around their holy places like a secret forest that shelters the largest biodiversity of East-Africa, and that the Kenyan government wants to exploit for tourism. The project is about theme's as environment, ecological tourism and local politics.
'Secrets of the Maasai' will be available from January 2009.