Santeria

"At the beginning, when I opened, maybe 90 or 100% of the clientele was Latino," says Charles Guelperin, a santero, or priest in the religion of Santeria. Today, Guelperin explains, his practice is changing and his clients are "people from many different countries." Santeria's history goes back to Africa. Its roots are in the spiritual practices of Africans who were brought to countries like Cuba and Brazil as slaves and evolved and spread with time and migration. In the U.S., the religion has felt its share of prejudice and controversy, ultimately leading to a Supreme Court case. In this documentary short directed by Camilla Borel-Rinkes, Guelperin and Ysamur Flores Pena, a college professor who is also a priest in Santeria, open up about their practices and dispel some of the myths surrounding the religion.