Vodou Child

Bullied as a child, artist and priest Fré Calmes now celebrates his Vodou religion in public. Eric Mugaju explores a life shaped by faith, prejudice and creativity.

Long: At school in Curaçao, Fré Calmes was called a witch and shunned by classmates. Within the family, spiritual practices were surrounded by secrecy. Today, the Haitian-born artist and Vodou priest is making that faith visible through sculpture, ceremony and a video game.

Eric Mugaju travels to the Netherlands to meet Fré and explore the relationship between faith, creativity and belonging. In a park in Leiden, a towering sculpture doubles as an altar, where a local visitor brings flowers as an offering. On a train to Amsterdam and in the artist’s studio, Fré explains how making art is also a form of spiritual practice.

Fré recalls childhood in Haiti and Curaçao, experiences described as encounters with spirits, and the family video that inspired a wish to become a Vodou priest. An account of initiation in Benin reveals what it meant to feel recognised and understood.

At Amsterdam’s Wereldmuseum, plans for an exhibition about the Haitian Revolution bring faith and history together. Back in the studio, a video game is being developed to introduce players to Haiti’s past and the worlds of Vodou spirits.

Through intimate memories, ritual recordings and moments of humour, Heart and Soul explores what it means to make a once-private faith public, and to challenge the prejudices that shaped a childhood.

Presenter: Eric Mugaju
Producer: Matt O'Donoghue
Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno