Box Office Report: 'Possession' Scares Up $21.3 Mil, No. 2 Labor Day Opening

Hollywood Reporter

John Hillcoat's "Lawless" posts $15.1 million six day debut; "Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure" earns measly $827,134.

A topsy turvy summer at the domestic box office ended on a high note as Lionsgate's The Possession -- inspired by films including The Exorcist -- debuted to $21.3 million, the second best Labor Day opening of all time.

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Halloween is the top Labor Day opener of all time, bowing to $30.6 million in 2007; Transporter 2 is No. 2, grossing $20.1 million in 2005.

Possession, starring Kyra Sedgwick, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Natasha Calis, cost in the low- to mid-teen millions to produce and was directed by Ole Bornedal.

"The horror audience has been underserved for much of the summer. This movie seemed to grab that audience very nicely," Lionsgate president of distribution Richie Fay said. "We had a very good marketing plan, and a good playdate."

The PG-13 film received a B CinemaScore and played heavily to girls and younger women, whom Lionsgate targeted. Females made up 59 percent of the audience, while 54 percent of those buying tickets were younger than 25. The film also is over-indexing in Hispanic Catholic markets.
Overall Labor Day revenues were slightly down from last year (2 percent).

Between Possession and holdover The Expendables 2, Lionsgate titles captured 26 percent of the holiday marketplace.

John Hillcoat's Prohibition-era drama Lawless, which opened Wednesday, came in No. 2 for the four-day holiday weekend, grossing $13 million for a solid six day total of $15.1 million.

Lawless, from The Weinstein Co., stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska.

"Our best day was Sunday, which means we have great word of mouth," The Weinstein Co. president of distribution Erik Lomis said. "Typically, films go down from Saturday to Sunday on Labor Day, and we went up 8 percent."

Lawless, receiving a B+ CinemaScore, played very well in the South and the West. Roughly 67 percent of the audience was over the age of 25, while males made up 54 percent of those buying tickets.

Anti-Barack Obama documentary 2016: Obama's America came in No. 9 over the four-day Labor Day weekend, grossing $7.3 million for a cume of $20.4 mllion -- the fifth-best domestic cume for a political doc.

Kids entry The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure tanked in its debut, grossing $601.545 over the four day weekend for dismal screen average of $278 and a six-day cume of $827,134 (like Lawless, Oogieloves opened on Wednesday).

The independently financed and distibuted pic scored the second worst debut of all time behind Delgo ($511,920) and the worst ever in terms of its Friday-Sunday cume ($448,000).

At the specialty box office, phone sex comedy For a Good Time Call opened in 23 theaters in top markets, grossing $186,077 for a per screen average of $8,090.

Focus Features acquired the film at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and said For a Good Time Call's opening was fueled by females, who made up 70 percent of the audience. Better yet, nearly 70 percent of the film's audience were between the ages of 18 and 34, a good sign for movie's playability.

The film, starring Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller and Justin Long, will continue to expand throughout September. Jamie Travis directed.

Among holdovers, IFC Film's Ira Glass-produced comedy Sleepwalk With Me expanded nicely in its second weekend, grossing $408,987 from 29 theaters for a cume of $498,521 and a location average of $14,103, the best of the long holiday weekend.

Sleepwalk With Me, likewise premiering at Sundance earlier this year, was directed by comedian Mike Birbiglia, who also directed and co-wrote.

In its second weekend, Oscilloscope's Samsara grossed a solid $113,371 from nine theaters for a location average of $12,597 and cume of $231,620.

Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, dies two months after suffering severe heart attack

Daily Mail

*Fiancée Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth said: 'I'm devastated. He was the love of my life'

*The Green Mile co-star Tom Hanks said: 'I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike'

*Actor had been hospitalised since heart attack on July 13

*Rose to fame in 1999 after an Oscar nomination for his efforts in The Green Mile

*Death came 'very suddenly', with Omarosa present in the hospital room before momentarily leaving for a short period of time and when she returned he had died

Michael Clarke Duncan, the Oscar-nominated star of The Green Mile, has died after nearly two months of treatment following a heart attack in July.

Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Duncan's partner, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, saying the 54-year-old actor died on Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital. 

As the sad news was delivered, it also referred to Omarosa for the first time as his fiancée, saying: 'The Oscar-nominated actor suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered.'

Tragedy: Michael Clarke Duncan, pictured with fiancée Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth in February at a Grammys party, has died aged 54, two months after suffering a severe heart attack

Hollywood success: Michael was nominated for an Oscar following his performance in 1999's The Green Mile

Omarosa confirmed the news herself to Radar, saying: 'I am devastated. He was the love of my life.'

The US website report that 'both public and private memorials are being planned'.

Michael's death came 'very suddenly', with TMZ reporting that Omarosa was present in the hospital room before momentarily leaving for a short period of time and when she returned he had died.

Her mother is believed to have been present when he passed.

Meanwhile, Michael's Green Mile co-star Tom Hanks also released a heartfelt message, referring to the actor as 'Big Mike'.

He said: 'I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of The Green Mile. He was magic. 

'He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned.'

RIP: Michael was in high spirits during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in February

Big break: Michael was cast in Armageddon alongside Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis

The 6ft 5in, 300 pound star appeared in dozens of films, including box office hits Armageddon, Planet Of The Apes and Kung Fu Panda.

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1999, but unfortunately he lost out to Michael Caine after the British legend won his second Oscar to The Cider House Rules.

The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.

Outpouring of grief: Everyone from Olivia Munn to Evander Holyfield paid tribute to the actor

The role saw him become a global star, with Duncan winning the best supporting actor category for the Black Reel Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and Saturn Award ceremonies.

He was also nominated a further nine times, along with his Oscar nod, receiving recognition at the Golden Globes, MTV Movie Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

As news of the tragic actor was revealed, celebrity tributes poured in via Twitter, with former NBA star Kenny Smith stating he was due to visit Duncan tomorrow.

Friends in high places: Michael posing with Scarlett Johansson at The Island premiere in New York back in 2005, and with Bruce Willis at The Whole Nine Yards premiere in Los Angeles, over a decade ago in 2000

Winning streak: Duncan shows off two awards for The Green Mile at the 27th People's Choice Awards in 2001

The retired professional basketball player wrote: 'Don't put off tommor (sic) what you can do today!! RIP Michael Clarke Duncan!! I was suppose to go to hospital tommorow! Blessing to him and fam!!' 

FILM HISTORY

1995: Uncredited role in Friday

1998: Big Break as Bear in Armageddon

1999: Found global fame in Oscar-nominated role in The Green Mile, playing John Coffey

2000: Reunited with Armageddon co-star Bruce Willis for The Whole Nine Yards

2001: Starred in Tim Burton's blockbuster remake of Planet Of The Apes, playing Attar

2002: Took on the role of Balthazar in The Scorpion King alongside wrestler The Rock

2005: Cast as Manute in A-list piece Sin City

2008: Loaned his vocals to Commander Vachir the Javan Rhino for Kung Fu Panda

2011: Starred as Kilowog in The Green Lantern, opposite leading man Ryan Reynolds

2012: Played Leo Knox in TV flop The Finder

2012: Cast in his final role before his death From The Rough, based on the true story of a former swimming coach who became the first woman ever to coach college men’s golf team

Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as The Rock, also reached out having starred alongside Duncan in 2005's The Scorpion King.

He wrote: 'When something happens, we always say it happens for a reason ~ Michael Clarke Duncan 12/10/57 - 9/3/12 I'll miss you my brother.'

Jordin Sparks continued the dedications, writing: 'RIP Michael Clarke Duncan. Thank you for being so kind to me & for sharing your talent with the world. You will be truly missed.'

Extra host Mario Lopez referred to Duncan as a 'class act', saying: 'R.I.P Michael Clarke Duncan... One of the nicest & most professional guys I've had the pleasure of knowing. So sad.'

American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth wrote: 'RIP Michael Clarke Duncan-so very sad-my prayers are with his family & friends. :('

While Evander Holyfield said: 'My prayers go out to @OfficialMCD @omarosa and his family.'

Before finding fame in Tinseltown, Chicago native Michael worked as a labourer, digging ditches for a gas company.

He then headed to the bright lights of Hollywood, in touching distance of the limelight but still behind the scenes as he found work as a bodyguard for stars including Jamie Foxx and Will Smith.

When one of his clients, the Notorious B.I.G. was killed in 1997, Michael left the security business.

Personal side: The intimate snaps feature on Omarosa's Twitter page

But luck was on his side, and the following year, he landed a role in Armageddon, before going on to star in a string of hits.

He continued his success for over a decade, working right up until his death.

His final role is yet-to-be released From The Rough, a sports drama based on the true story of Catana Starks, a former swimming coach (played by Taraji P. Henson) who became the first woman ever to coach a college men’s golf team. 

Duncan was not averse to the occasional flop however, with his TV show The Finder bombing after just one season earlier this year. The Fox series was a spin-off of Bones, but failed to wow.

Rising star: Michael's notoriety continued to soar with 2003's Daredevil with Colin Farrell

Spoof: Michael starred in 2004's D.E.B.S. - a parody of the Charlie's Angels format

In July, Michael suffered a heart attack and remained in intensive care for several weeks after.

At the time, his representative Joy said in a statement: 'His family are firm believers in the power of prayer and have asked that you keep him in yours during this time.'

TMZ originally broke the story that Michael's 38-year-old girlfriend performed 'heroic CPR and re-started' the actor's heart at his LA home before he was rushed to the hospital.

'Everyday GOD continues to smile upon my luv Michael Clarke Duncan on this arduous road to recovery,' Omarosa tweeted last month to her 30,000 followers.

'God is with us every step of the way!!'

Action man: Michael pictured with Rosario Dawson in Robert Rodriguez film Sin City

Memorable role: Michael received three awards and nine nominations for his role in The Green Mile

The pair were together for two years and the former Apprentice contestant had been referring to the large star as 'my hubby' and 'my love' as she tended to his bedside.

According to TMZ, 'an army of people' were caring for Duncan, who was 'breathing above the respirator' and had a 'very strong heartbeat' after initial tests were performed on him.

Kent Moran, who directed Duncan in The Challenger, told MailOnline the actor recently wrapped on the action drama, in which he plays a trainer helping to revive the career of boxer Jaden Miller.

Green is mean: Michael played Kilowog in The Green Lantern, alongside Ryan Reynolds

Moran, who also stars as Miller in the film, described Duncan as 'very healthy' on set and said he coped well with the physicality of the role, adding that news of the actor falling ill was 'unexpected.'

He added: 'We were very surprised and saddened to hear the news. Our film is now in post production and we have finished filming Michael's scenes. 

'So at this point, we are really just praying for him and wishing him a speedy recovery.'

Icon: Michael at a Grammys party in January 2010, and posing at a FOX event last August 

Battle of the bodies: The Rock and Michael co-starred in 2002's The Scorpion King

MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN: 10.12.1957 - 03.09.2012

• Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 10, 1957
• Lived in a single-parent household with sister Judy
• Moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, and found work as a bodyguard to the stars
• In 1995, landed an uncredited role in 1995 comedy hit Friday
• Quit bodyguard work in 1997 following the death of client Notorious B.I.G
• The following year, landed his big break as Bear in Armagedon 
• Became a household name in 1999 for his Oscar-nominated role in The Green Mile
• Won Best Supporting Actor for the Black Reel Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and Saturn Award, following his efforts in the Tom Hanks blockbuster
• Nominated for a further nine times for his role as John Coffey
• Starred in blockbusters Planet Of The Apes, The Scoprion King and The Green Lantern
• Suffered a heart attack on July 13, 2012 - given CPR by fiancée Omarosa Manigault
• Despite treatment, Michael Clarke Duncan sadly died on September 3, aged 54

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2197889/Michael-Clarke-Duncan-death-The-Green-Mile-star-dies-aged-54-following-months-treatment-July-heart-attack.html#ixzz25Stg0Twg

If you are #newtoWho, check out these Doctor Who books to get you up to speed, or time, or um, insert awful pun here!

SPOILERS!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!!! 'Hope we gave you a good surprise'! Doctor Who fans shocked as...

Daily Mirror

...Time Lord's new assistant makes screen debut months early!!!

It's par for the course in Doctor Who for the hero himself to appear at unexpected times, but  his latest companion seems to be making an attempt to upstage the Time Lord.

Jenna-Louise Coleman surprised fans of the BBC1 drama by popping up in the first episode of the new series – four months before her expected debut as the Doctor’s latest sidekick.

The former Emmerdale and Waterloo Road actress stunned fans as a woman who had been turned  into one of the Doctor’s enemies,  the Daleks.

This came as the show boasted a ratings boost for the series opener with Asylum Of The Daleks getting more viewers – 6.4million - than the opening episode of the last series.

The 26-year-old will replace Amy Pond and her husband Rory, played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, as the Timelord’s companion during this series.

But questions remain about the link between the character she played on Saturday night and the part she will play as the doctor’s assistant.

At the weekend Miss Coleman was playing the part of Oswin Oswald, a woman had been captured and ‘converted’ inside a dalek, on the series opener.

But it is believed when she appears as the new assistant in the Christmas episode she will be called Clara Oswin.

Keeping it quiet: The new addition to the show thanked fans who had seen advanced screenings for keeping her debut a secret

Sidekick: The actress will replace Amy Pond and her husband Rory, played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, as the Time Lord's companion during this series

There is already speculation about whether the two characters will be linked or are versions of the same person.

The actress sent a message to fans yesterday saying: ‘Boo! Hello! Hope we gave you a good surprise! Thanks to all the fans who kept it quiet and made it so! More to come...watch this space!”

 

Dalek-table: Fans saw the character played by glamorous Coleman trapped inside the skeleton of a dalek - and seemingly doomed - in the episode

She will star alongside the current Doctor, Matt Smith, and follows in the footsteps of Miss Gillan, Catherine Tate and Billie Piper as the time traveller’s assistant. 

The show was watched by 6.4million viewers on Saturday up by 200,000 from the opening episode of the last series which got 6.2million viewers.

She was met with praise from fans of the show, which peaked at almost seven million viewers.

The old team: The Doctor, played by Matt Smith, with his former assistant Karen Gillan, played by Amy Pond

The new girl on the block: Jenna-Louise Coleman, who made her name in Waterloo Road and Emmerdale

One said: ‘Everyone (deservedly) raving about Jenna Louise Coleman - none of the usual “argh a soap actor” negativity.’ One added: ‘That episode last night was amazing & Jenna Louise Coleman’s appearance made my jaw drop!! had to do a double take.’

The appearance has already won her a legion of male fans, undoubtedly helped by some flirtatious lines from the scriptwriters.

She carries on the tradition of glamorous sidekicks, having been twice nominated for ‘Sexiest Female’ at the British Soap Awards.

Show supremo Steven Moffat thanked fans who had already seen the episode for keeping the secret.

The programme was premiered at BFI Southbank in London last month and has also been shown at the Edinburgh Television Festival.

He said: ‘I hope you all got a nice surprise when Jenna popped up in Doctor Who several months early. If so, that surprise came to you courtesy of the frankly magnificent ladies and gentlemen of the press, and of the many Doctor Who forums and blogs too.

‘This show has been seen at four separate screenings, across four different countries and yet not one person gave one spoiler.

‘From all of us on Doctor Who, a heartfelt thank you for helping us tell our story.’ Miss Coleman will not appear in the series again until Christmas.

Earlier this year Miss Coleman was seen in ITV’s Titanic mini-series, written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. She had also had a Hollywood role in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Next week’s episode Dinosaurs On A Spaceship is set to herald a ratings skirmish with X Factor as the two shows are expected to overlap for ten minutes.

Doctor Who: 10 things we absolutely LOVE about the return of the Timelord in Asylum of the Daleks

Mirror

Doctor Who? There's still life in the old knock knock joke yet

Based on overnight ratings, 6.3 million people watched the return of Doctor Who last night and it’s also taken its obligatory number one slot on the BBC’s iPlayer.

Here’s a rundown of 10 things the action-packed season opener showed us.

The Doctor’s joined the A-Team
He may have got himself captured, but what a way to do it.  If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him - maybe you can hire the Doctor!

From the red skies and acid rain of Skaro to the blue skies and snowy wastes of the Dalek’s asylum, courtesy of Spain, Asylum of the Daleks delivered on it blockbuster promise.

Things look good for next week’s space-bound, dinosaur-filled adventure.

Daleks have a soft spot for 90s game shows
Those TV signals had to go somewhere. Tunnelling out a whole planet is impressive, surrounding it with a force-field even more so, but leaving the on/off switch on the planet itself? It’s a little stupid. 

That is, unless whoever designed the place had been watching a lot of Fort Boyard and The Crystal Maze. 

There was even a special section for Doctor survivors! Dull conversationalists I expect.

Of course, if they have a Parliament, the Daleks have a Prime Minister. And there was no sign of a coalition!  Presumably the Dalek Emperor was on a tour of some remote colonies.  Proof once again that the Daleks are democratic - they can hate anything in any way they want.

Dalek Zombies
Who’s done zombies before, see 2005’s The Unquiet Dead, but Dalek Zombies!? Spin off-show please.

The Doctor may still be a little socially awkward, except that is when he’s flirting with a Dalek, but he certainly had an idea to get the Ponds back together in adversity. 

They’ve been through a lot during the longest human relationship of all time, but one things for sure: Amy has such a penchant for getting into trouble, she needs Rory around when the Raggedy Man isn’t.

Tiny Dancers
The random appearances of France Barber’s Madam Kovarian last year shouted ‘something odd’s going on here!’ - but it looks like things may be a little more subtle this series. 

Oddest of all were the dream sequences: Oswin’s as she held onto her humanity and then Amy’s as she lost hers. 

But why did both contain revolving dancers? 

Was that a young Amelia Pond spinning around in the corridors? 

Perhaps that’s how Daleks see themselves.

Now there’s a surprise, almost immediately we were introduced to the Doctor’s new companion, Oswin Oswald! 

One of the best kept secrets since the show returned and it looks like she’s going to be great. 

…And she’s Dalek!
Of course, we also saw Oswin’s apparent demise. But it’s unlikely that this was her ultimate post-companion fate - it just didn’t have the right emotional clout. 

So expect her to take a clever, timey-wimey route back into The Chin’s affections and TARDIS at Christmas.

One key point: the Doctor never actually saw her…

Dr Who?
As the opening narration reminded us, the Doctor is thought dead throughout most of the universe. But now he really has got something to get excited about:  his greatest enemy doesn’t even remember who he is! 

Dalek history records must be pretty confusing now, so many losses over the years for no reason. 

Of all the questions they’re asking themselves the main one must be: ‘what’s was that blue box in the middle of our Parliament?’

Follow Matt Goddard on Twitter: @JokerMatt

World News - Ghana witch camps: Widows' lives in exile

BBC News

A rusty motorbike speeds across the vast dry savannah of Ghana's impoverished northern region, leaving a cloud of reddish dust in its wake. Arriving at a small group of round thatched huts, the young motorcyclist helps his old mother to dismount to begin her new life in exile.When misfortune hits a village, there is a tendency in some countries to suspect a "witch" of casting a spell. In Ghana, outspoken or eccentric women may also be accused of witchcraft - and forced to live out their days together in witch camps.

Frail 82-year-old Samata Abdulai has arrived at the village of Kukuo, one of Ghana's six witch camps, where women accused of witchcraft seek refuge from beating, torture or lynching.

The camps are said to have come into existence more than 100 years ago, when village chiefs decided to establish isolated safe areas for the women. They are run by tindanas, leaders capable of cleansing an accused woman so that not only is the community protected from any witchcraft but the woman herself is safe from vigilantes.

Today they are still run by local chiefs, and accommodate up to 1,000 women in spartan huts with no electricity or running water, and roofs that leak.

They survive by collecting firewood, selling little bags of peanuts or working in nearby farms.For water, the inhabitants of the Kukuo camp walk three miles each day to the River Otti, struggling back uphill with heavy pots of water. It's an intolerable way for an elderly woman to live, but it's a life they are prepared to endure so long as they are safe.

Samata lived some 40km (24 miles) away in the village of Bulli. There she spent her autumn years caring for her twin grandchildren while her daughter worked in the fields.

It was a happy, fulfilled existence, a gentle winding down after a long working life as a second-hand clothes trader. Then suddenly one day one of her brothers came to warn her that villagers had begun blaming her for the death of her niece, a young girl on whom Samata was accused of putting a spell.

Sisters Safia, left, and Samata, at Kukuo

"I was confused and filled with fear because I knew I was innocent," she says. "But I know that once people call you a witch your life is in danger and so without waiting to pick up any of my belongings, I just fled from the village."

Continue reading the main story

The witch camps appear to be unique to northern Ghana. But Ghana shares with other African countries an endemic belief in witchcraft with illness, drought, fires and other natural disasters blamed on black magic. The alleged witches are nearly always elderly.

An ActionAid report on witch camps, published this week, says that more than 70% of residents in Kukuo camp were accused and banished after their husbands died - suggesting that witchcraft allegations are a way of enabling the family to take control of the widow's property.

"The camps are a dramatic manifestation of the status of women in Ghana," says Professor Dzodzi Tsikata of the University of Ghana. "Older women become a target because they are no longer useful to society."

Women who do not conform to society's expectations also fall victim to the accusations of witchcraft, according to Lamnatu Adam of the women's rights group Songtaba.

Continue reading the main story

"Women are expected to be submissive so once you start to be outspoken in your views or even successful in your trade, people assume you must be possessed."

One of Samata's younger sisters, 52-year-old Safia, is also living at Kukuo. She first came here to join her own mother and grandmother, both of them banished from the community for the same reason.

"They are not witches," Safia says. "This is just hatred, jealousy and a way to get rid of you."

Like most members of the witch camps, including Samata, Safia believes in the existence of witches but feels many women have been unfairly accused.

Eccentric behaviour may also be interpreted as evidence of spirit-possession.

"In traditional communities there is no real understanding of depression or dementia," says Dr Akwesi Osei, chief psychiatrist at the Ghana health service, who claims a majority of the women in the camps have some sort of mental illness.

The Ghanaian government sees the camps as a stain on the reputation of one of the most progressive democratic and economically vibrant nations in Africa, and said last year it would move quickly to disband them, possibly in 2012.

But sending the women back to their home villages now would be fraught with danger.

"We are going to have to disabuse people's minds and that takes a long time.""We have to do a lot of work with their communities so that they are able to return without being lynched or subjected to reaccusation, for example if a cow jumps over a fence and knocks down something," says Adwoa Kwateng-Kluvitse, ActionAid's country director in Ghana.

In her view, it will take 10 or 20 years.

At Kukuo, Samata has to undergo a ritual which the entire community believes will determine whether or not she is guilty. She has to buy a brightly coloured chicken to offer the resident fetish priest.

The old priest squats on the ground uttering incantations before cutting the chicken's throat. Samata waits anxiously as the chicken flutters in its death throes waiting to see how it falls.

It lands on its back, a sign that Samata is innocent. With smiles all round, she sprinkles holy water over herself and those gathered to witness the ceremony. She now feels she has been vindicated.

If she had been found guilty she would have been forced to submit to another, far worse ritual cleansing ceremony - drinking a concoction of chicken blood, monkey skulls and soil. A woman must consume this without falling ill within seven days, in order for the exorcism to be deemed effective. If not, she must take it again.

But this doesn't mean Samata can go home. Even though she has been proved innocent, the beliefs which have condemned her to a life of exile are so deeply entrenched she may never be able to return safely.

"When you are accused of witchcraft, it's a loss of dignity," says Samata. "And to be honest, I just feel like ending my own life."

Her greatest sadness is that she will never see her grandchildren again. "I worry about who is going to look after the twins," she says in a quiet voice. "I was the one who bathed and put them to bed. Who will do that now?"