New Film Explores Jamaica's Secret Forbidden 'Obeah' Love Charm Tradition

New film by award-winning Jamaican filmmaker Sosiessia Nixon is drawing attention as it explores obeah – a West African-derived tradition of magic and spiritual healing that persists in Jamaica despite being outlawed by British colonizers since the 1700s and remaining illegal to this day.

The feature-length horror titled Stew Peas follows detective Tessa, who is haunted by an old murder case. Her life begins to unravel when she discovers her husband, Neil, has been bewitched by their new housemaid, Marcia. The story darkens further with the revelation that Marcia has been adding a 'secret ingredient' to Neil's food – her menstrual blood.

“The film focuses on the long-standing Jamaican obeah belief that a woman can 'tie' a man to a relationship by feeding him stewed red peas, which become a love charm when menstrual blood is added,” Nixon said.

Nixon hopes the film will open a dialogue about the tension between Christianity and obeah – a belief rooted in African heritage that is still practiced today despite the 18th-century colonial ban. “The belief in love charms from stewed red peas remains taboo in Jamaica. People often say 'belief kills and belief heals,' meaning if you believe something, it will happen. So, does this stuff really work?” Nixon questions.

Raised in St Thomas – a coastal parish at Jamaica’s southeastern tip sometimes called 'the obeah parish' – Nixon said she drew inspiration from real experiences. “Growing up in St Thomas, I was heavily exposed to obeah,” she said.

Producer and actor Ava Eagle Brown, founder of Jamaica’s Black River Film Festival, believes the film will resonate with Caribbean people everywhere. “There is so much about us in this film, the things that make us Jamaican – especially if you’re in the diaspora... it brings you home.”

Brown, who also appears in the film, added: “It may make some men look at their women with suspicion and ask: 'What did you put in my stew peas?' But seriously, I’ve already told my son not to eat stew peas from any woman!”

Sonjah Stanley Niaah, a Jamaican cultural studies scholar and director of the Centre for Reparation Research at the University of the West Indies, said the belief about stew peas relates to the African view that natural elements, including menstrual blood, possess inherent potential. The idea is that red peas will mask the blood so the bewitched man cannot detect it.

Stanley Niaah welcomed the opportunity to explore African spiritual forms, which have often been misunderstood after being vilified and outlawed by European colonizers for their association with slave revolts. “People in this region are of African descent and have an African spiritual shrine in our blood that we inherited... But today, African spirituality receives no attention, no content, is not taught in schools. We are so afraid of ourselves, we are neglecting it.”

She added: “What we have now is a very deep, enduring tension between Christian practice and African spirituality. Slavery was sanctioned by the church. Some aspects of Caribbean legislative architecture were certainly driven by the need to prevent enslaved people from gathering for any reason, whether to worship gods or to plan rebellion. That legislative architecture remains present today, with the Obeah Act still on Jamaica’s law books.”

According to Stanley Niaah, Jamaica must continue to make films that boldly represent the region, its communities, and its culture, even in the face of severe challenges such as rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa.

Brown, who had to cancel this year’s festival after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of Black River – where the event is normally held – agreed with Stanley Niaah, calling Stew Peas a 'ray of hope' as Jamaica’s multi-billion-dollar creative industry struggles to recover. “This year I had to postpone the festival, which was a huge blow because it is how Jamaican creatives start connecting with the world, including contacts from major networks like Canal+ and Netflix.”

She added: “The hurricane destroyed so much! It destroyed infrastructure, equipment, and for some people, it destroyed hope. That’s why we need projects like this to show Jamaican resilience, and send a message to the world that we are still making music, making films, and adding that signature Jamaican blue, yellow, and black to the entertainment industry.”

Jamaica’s film commissioner, Jacqueline Jackson, said films like Stew Peas are 'a powerful testament to the resilience, creativity, and determination of Jamaica’s creative industries.' “It is important to keep going and to prove that Jamaica is still open for business. In this way, it encourages international productions to return to Jamaica, positively affecting jobs and film production spending.”