Altar of Fire (1976): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1976, Altar of Fire is a notable film directed by Robert Gardner.

What it’s about. This film records a 12 day ritual performed by Mambudiri Brahmins in Kerala, southwest India, in April 1975. This event was possibly the last performance of the Agnicayana, a Vedic ritual of sacrifice dating back 3,000 years and probably the oldest surviving human ritual. Long considered extinct and never witnessed by outsiders, the ceremonies require the participation of seventeen priests, involve libations of Soma juice and oblations of other substances, all preceded by several months of preparation and rehearsals. They include the construction, from a thousand bricks, of a fire altar in the shape of a bird.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Altar of Fire page.