Many of the characters we see in the film selection have a "sacred vocation" during the festival. how does religious ritual provide a sense of purpose for participants? do you think power and hierarchy might be involved? how might that manifest itself? the boats built for the procession are purely symbolic, they are never meant to enter the water. can you think of other religious symbols that are purely symbolic? what sort of meaning do they convey? how do they convey it? certain elements of the celebration have clear connections to the past, such as the procession of boats. how does ritual preserve continuity with the past? can you think of other religious rituals that maintain historical connections?