Santo Forte

On October 5th, 1997, a film crew entered the favela, Vila Parque da Cidade, well-rooted in a rather chic district in the south of Rio de Janeiro. The inhabitants are watching the Pope on television giving mass in the city centre. In December, the crew returns to the favela to find out how the inhabitants live the religious aspect of their lives. Whether they be Catholic, Umbandist (Afro-Brazilian religion) or Pentacostalist, all have a shared belief in the world of the supernatural, communicating with it through the Saints, Orixás, Guides or even the Holy Spirit. The film closes on 24th December, with a Christmas that everyone celebrates in their own way.