Black Zombie and the Racist Roots of Vodou

Key Facts

What Does Black Zombie Reveal About the Origins of the Zombie?

“Black Zombie” traces the zombie origin from its roots in chattel slavery and Haitian Vodou to its re-imagining as a racist Hollywood trope. According to the source material, the film premiered at SXSW and uses recreated sugarcane field footage to represent the conditions of enslaved workers. The narrative connects the zombie to the Vodou tenet that death allows return to a mythical Africa, making the zombie a tool that enslaves the spirit in the afterlife.

Bedward emphasizes that the zombie myth was historically distorted by white colonialists and showmen. The film uses animation and archival footage to illustrate this re-imagining process. As Bedward states in the interview, film is a powerful medium capable of shaping societal perspectives, and the documentary highlights the ramifications of misrepresentation on the Haitian community.

The documentary traces the zombie’s origin from Vodou’s central tenet of returning to mythical Africa after death to the racist caricatures of early Hollywood films.

How Does the Film Address Racist Caricatures in Hollywood?

Bedward’s approach to viewing racist caricatures of Black people in older Hollywood films involved a mix of humor and anger. In the interview, she describes initially laughing at the absurdity of the depictions but experiencing anger when considering the real-world consequences of those misrepresentations. The film argues these portrayals have caused shame within the Black diaspora, discouraging exploration of African traditional religions.

The director explains that films are the primary reason many people from the diaspora are hesitant to learn about traditions like Santeria, Obeah, or Vodou. She notes that families who practice these religions might hide it or distance themselves due to negative media portrayals. “Undoing that shame was a huge motivation for making this film,” Bedward told RogerEbert.com.

Bedward used humor to cope with viewing racist Hollywood caricatures but channeled the anger over their real-world effects into the motivation for producing the documentary.

How Was the Archival Footage Sourced and Recreated?

For the archival footage, the production avoided relying on actual 1920s films of Haitian sugarcane workers because those were not available. Instead, Bedward recreated the conditions using modern footage of men walking through sugarcane fields with torches. The director stated the goal was to make the film feel "alive" rather than like a history book, using animation and visuals to grip the audience as the documentary digs deeper into the history of slavery and Vodou.

The production hired archival researchers to find sources. Bedward wanted audiences to stay engaged with the educational content. The black-and-white footage complements the film within the film, representing the labor conditions of the era without pretending to be original footage.

The archival visuals of sugarcane workers were recreated using modern footage of men with torches because original films from that era do not exist.

Why Did the Director Shoot Specific Black-and-White Recreations?

The black-and-white recreations set in the 1790s were designed to be spellbinding and ethereal rather than attempting to match archival footage. Bedward explains that the heart of the film is the Vodou tenet regarding death and the return to mythical Africa. For enslaved people uprooted from their lands, this belief meant freedom in the afterlife, making the zombie’s role in preventing reconnection a horrific concept of eternal enslavement.

To emotionally connect audiences with this story, Bedward shot in actual sugarcane fields. The aesthetic deliberately references older zombie films, serving as a visual reclamation of the narrative from early films that distorted Vodou and enslavement stories. The recreations take back the visual language from the colonial space.

The 1790s recreations were shot in real sugarcane fields to reclaim the visual narrative from earlier zombie films that distorted Vodou traditions.

How Does the Film’s Geographic Scope Expand?

The documentary travels to Haiti, Montreal, Paris, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh to explore the global effect of the zombie myth. Bedward notes that the zombie is a common term worldwide, not just in the US. France was a necessary filming location because it colonized Haiti, and the story of exploitation starts with that colonial relationship. The director believes colonialism affects everyone, making the story universally relevant.

Bedward was most surprised to spend significant time in Pittsburgh, which she calls the zombie capital of the world because it is where George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” was shot. Although Pittsburgh does not receive a title card in the film, the location plays a key role in the zombie’s cinematic history.

The documentary’s global scope was driven by the worldwide reach of the zombie myth, with specific attention given to France for its colonial history and Pittsburgh for its ties to Romero.

What Challenges Did Production Face in Haiti?

The production faced significant obstacles that prevented on-location filming in Haiti for the main shoot. Bedward’s initial plan was to shoot with nicer cameras during festivals like the Raras, but the film was greenlit right before March 2020, when COVID-19 shut down the world. Following the pandemic, the assassination of the president of Haiti led to turmoil that made shooting dangerous, forcing crew and contributors into lockdown.

Even in the typically calm city of Jacmel, it became too risky to film in the streets. The footage in the film was ultimately shot during an earlier research phase. To complete production, the film crew brought Haitian communities to the Dominican Republic, working with an Afro-Dominican team to ensure safety despite the tense relationship between the two countries.

Production relocated Haitian contributors to the Dominican Republic after safety risks from political turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic prevented filming in Haiti.

Who Is This Film For?

The film is intended for audiences interested in the history of horror cinema and the cultural impact of media representation. It also serves educators and viewers seeking critical analysis of colonialism. The director hopes all viewers will learn about the zombie’s origin in Haiti and understand that Vodou is a respected religion to be celebrated. The film pairs imperative historical lessons with pop sensibilities in an attempt to reach a broad audience.

Common Questions

Why did the director include the post-credit scene of Erol Josué?

The post-credit scene features Erol Josué performing a ceremonial dance in the ruins of a sugarcane mill. Bedward described the 30-minute unedited performance as powerful and wanted it to stand on its own. She chose not to translate his words to avoid framing the performance as a consumable product for the audience.

Did the director travel to all the locations shown in the film?

Filming occurred in Haiti, Montreal, Paris, New Orleans, the Dominican Republic, and Pittsburgh. Footage of Haitian ceremonies was shot during research trips with a local crew. Due to safety concerns in Haiti after the president’s assassination, additional shoots with Haitian communities took place in the Dominican Republic.

Why does the documentary include comedic zombie film moments?

Bedward used comedic zombie film clips to engage viewers before introducing educational content about the Haitian Revolution and its aftermath. Balancing film history, comedy, and historical lessons required extensive re-editing. The editing process was the hardest part of making the film according to the director.

Sources and Methodology

The information in this article is based on a single interview conducted by RogerEbert.com with director Maya Annik Bedward and published on the source URL provided. Direct quotes are presented verbatim from the source material. The documentary and its facts are described as presented in that interview. This article was last updated on May 20, 2025.