Saint Francis in Canindé

Every year, on October 4th, hundreds of thousand people gather in Canindé, a sleepy small-town in the Brazilian Northeast, to worship their beloved Saint Francis, who is believed to have the power to heal all wounds and cure all illnesses. Together with a friend of mine, renowned Italian photographer Dario De Dominicis, I have visited Canindé for four years in a row, photographing the celebration. The resulting body of work has been shown in exhibitions in Rome and Rio de Janeiro. The whole story will be featured in a documentary film which is due to be released in 2019, under the direction of Margarita Hernandez.