Internationally celebrated musician (and Brazil's current Minister for the Arts) Gilberto Gil is the narrator and on-screen guide in Viva Sao Joao, Andrucha Waddington's (Eu, Tu Eles, Gemeas) documentary on the tradition and legacy of the 'Festa Junina' celebrations of north-eastern Brazil.
Indigenous, African and Roman Catholic beliefs intersect each June in a series of raucous harvest festivals in honour of Sao Joao, the saint of abundance, celebrating the important things in life - like a healthy cow and a good crop of beans.
Viva Sao Joao features footage from Gil's 2001 concert tour, impromptu performances, jam sessions and street festivities. Back in the north-east, accordions, strong rhythms and beautiful husky voices define the landscape, the people's joy for life and love of their land and of their culture.
