Stuff You Gotta Watch: Viva Viva
Brazil is not only made of samba and bossa nova; it also subsists on myriad underground genres that help shape the country's character. Carolina Pfister's Viva Viva offers a glimpse of one, painting a raw and compelling portrait of the São Paulo punk scene that instantly pulls us into the eye of hurricane.
Filmed between 2003 and 2005, Viva Viva's visual and stylistic directness often feels as punk as the subjects it portrays. For over an hour and a half, the documentary takes us on a voyage from the outskirt slums to the city center, capturing vivid landscapes and candid snapshots that subvert the usual exported Brazilian clichés.
The documentary ties everything together with first-person testimonies from Simone, Clemente, Elisa, Toca, Úlcera, and numerous others keeping this subculture of dissent alive, as well as music from local bands like Retórica, Menstruação Anárquika, or Dominatrix.
Review by Ana Leorne. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.