Santo forte

  • 80'
  • Brazil
  • 1999
Including an open-air mass given by the Pope on the Flamengo Park and, months later, Christmas celebrations, this documentary penetrates the intimate lives of Catholics, umbanda believers and evangelicals from a Rio slum (favela). In their individual ways, they believe in direct communication with the supernatural through the intervention of saints, orixás, spiritual guides. Director and journalist Eduardo Coutinho wrote in the newspaper O estado de Sao Paolo: 'The film is about a team of film-makers who go to the favela and ask questions about people's religious beliefs. There's a clear relation of negotiation and conflict between both sides of the camera. Religion is also negotiation. The religious movement in Brazil is just fascinating. The people come and go between different cults during their lives, depending on what they need in terms of health, love and sex.'
Director
Eduardo Coutinho
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
Brazil
Year
1999
Festival Edition
IFFR 2000
Length
80'
Medium
35mm
Language
Portuguese
Producers
Centro de Criaçao de Imagem Popu CECIP, Cláudia Braga
Sales
Donald K. Ranvaud
Screenplay
Eduardo Coutinho
Director
Eduardo Coutinho
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
Brazil
Year
1999
Festival Edition
IFFR 2000
Length
80'
Medium
35mm
Language
Portuguese
Producers
Centro de Criaçao de Imagem Popu CECIP, Cláudia Braga
Sales
Donald K. Ranvaud
Screenplay
Eduardo Coutinho