Hermeto, the Champ

Photographs present Hermeto Paschoal in the middle of the instruments he plays in the studio in his house. The rehearsals where the sounds are discovered and improvisation sets the tone. Hermeto's testimonies on the self-taught construction of his theoretical knowledge about music and his political position on the market. The musicians who are part of his band talk about the joint process of creation and the admiration they feel for the multi-instrumentalist. The creation of Hermetus from the sounds of bees and next to the frods. The use of unusual objects made of iron and the use of the body itself to generate new sounds.

Directed by Thomaz Farkas, Hermeto, the Champ leans on a strong ensemble — Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto, Pernambuco — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1981.